I’m Alesia and I am a home schooled Christian teen trying to adapt to today’s crazy society.
Welcome to my blog!
My blog name means several things: By Reaching Higher I am challenging myself to Do and Be better in all that I am.
Instead of settling for the normal, I’ll Reach Higher by setting goals to grow strong in both my personal life and my spiritual life with God.
In this blog, I will post about My Spiritual Journey and the discoveries I make as I learn more about God and all the amazing things He's done!
"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." 1 Timothy 4:12
Have a good evening! 
Hello! [/scroll] 
This question often confuses many people, including myself.
"What's the difference between living for God and living for the world?" someone may ask.
I'll tell you;
Living for God, you are not afraid to show your faith. You don't worry about the latest trends or fad's and you put God before your friends.
Living for the world, you might be ashamed to pray in public. You always want the newest and latest clothes and you put friends first.
By living for God, you don't care what others say or think about you. You don't try to please them, you focus on pleasing God.
By living for he world, you may be worried that people don’t find you attractive or think you are cool. You focus more on trying to please them more then trying to please God.
A good example of living for God vs. living for the world is celebrities.
Ever notice how some people treat famous people more like idols, or god's then just really rich people?
People will swipe a famous person's chewed gum up off the sidewalk and sell it online and actually make allot of money from it! That's just gross if you ask me.
People are always waiting for the latest gossip on the stars, wanting to know if their favorite celebrity is "hot" or "not" this week.
People rush to tell their friends "I said hi to so-and-so! OH MY GOSH!! They said hi back to me! AH!"
Yet, not allot of people will rush to a friend, exclaiming "God spoke to me! Can you believe it! God actually spoke to me!"
In the Bible, Jesus tells us not to worry about life, He will supply all our needs.
We need to spend less time worrying about how others see us, and focus on how God sees us.
Don't worry about the latest gossip in those magazines, instead, read the Bible and learn the truth!
Sometimes people live for the world for the following reasons;
It's easier, you get more attention, you have more friends, you can be cool, or hot, or the most popular kid in school.
Yet, it probably won't make your life any better or fulfill you in the long run. You can't make a career out of having the most friends in school or being the most popular.
Those people that decide to live for God, have chosen a much harder path.
They may get picked on because of their faith, loose friends for the same reason. You may even end up as a cast-out in school (unless you go to Christian school, then that's a whole other story, but you still need to focus on living for God)
Living for God will make your life better and fulfill you. You can make a career out of it and do amazing things!
When you live for God, you will always be taken care of...
Matthew 6:25-34 25:"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
26: Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
27: Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28: "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.
29: Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
30: If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31: So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'
32: For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
33: But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
34: Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
As people, we are born, we live and learn then we die, and so continues the circle of life.
But one thing that I am very fascinated by, is the fact that God, has no beginning, no end, He has always been and always will be!
Sometimes it will make perfect sense to me, but as I dig deeper and think harder about it, I sometimes get a little puzzled
In Crazy Love Francis Chan says “God Is Eternal. Most of us would probably agree with that statement. But have you ever seriously meditated on what it means?
Each of us has a beginning; everything in existence began on a particular day, at a specific time.
Everything that is, but God. He always has been, since before there was an earth, a universe, or even angels.
God exists outside of time, and since we are within time, there is no way we will ever totally grasp that concept.
Not being able to fully understand God is frustrating,"
I agree wholeheartedly with him when he says that not being able to fully understand God is frustrating.
Thinking about how God has existed, for probably billions of years, meaning He’s been around forever, before there were even angels, thinking about that makes me realize how complex He is.
No one created God, He didn’t just appear one day out of no where, He has always been there!
There has only been an earth for about seven or so thousand years, but possibly billions of years before that, God existed.
Sometimes this thought brings silly questions into my head like “If God has always existed, even before angels, didn’t He get bored after being alone for so many years?”
The more I try to understand it, the more questions like that begin to fill my head.
Time to us, has great meaning, we plan our lives around the clock, and everything is rushed and hurried.
To God, on the other hand, there is no time, there is no five o’ clock or midnight.
Learning this has helped me realize why God may not always do things exactly when we want them done.
God knows the perfect timing for everything, even though at times when I may get impatient with Him, I just have to remember, He knows what I need and when I need it. God said to Moses, "I am who I am”
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Okay, please ignore my angry rage, but I have to say this.
IT”S A BABY FROM THE MINUTE IT EVEN BEGINS TO DEVELOPE!!!!!! Not just some little blob! That makes me so mad that they LIE like that! And WHY do they hide the fact that the BABY does have a HEARTBEAT so early?!
Maybe all the Mothers need is to KNOW that that BABY is ALIVE! For all we know, it could cause the Mother to suddenly bond with her unborn child, and decide NOT to have an abortion! It’s so sad! Those babies are being murdered, and those so called ‘doctors’ don’t even care! Because to them, it’s just a little blob of junk that is just THERE, until forty weeks. Then SUDDENLY it’s a baby! I MEAN COME ON!!!!
They go to such extreme measures to keep from having the word “baby” said, that it just sounds ridiculous! Honestly, until now, I didn’t know that a PREGNANCY could GROW INSIDE of you….wow… *Rolls eyes*
They are PRESSURING those poor girls and women into KILLING THEIR babies!!
OH MY…..! Okay seriously, yes women die having babies…..but how rare is that? And do they seriously think that scaring the poor women is going to make thing better? Cause what if they decide to have the abortion now, then in five years they want a baby. Now they have those ‘doctors’ words stuck in their head “Women die having babies.”
Hello?! Just living is a risk! We could die on our way to work! There’s a better chance of that happening, then a women dying from having a baby!
“I’ve been killing babies for forty years.” And that’s something to be PROUD of?! WOW!
Again, please forgive my rage, but I cannot stand that! ABORTION IS MURDER! And these people are making people PAY to have their babies killed?! WHAT?! It’s insane!
It’s one thing if the baby dies during the delivery, but this is a whole other topic.
UGH! I JUST HATE IT!!! >:[
I just think , what would happen if Mary had lived during this time in life, and decided to have an abortion just because ’she was young and not what society would refer to as an able Mother’ Wow! We’d all be in BIG trouble if that happened!
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Yes, I happened to be a little mad at the time I made that comment, but don't you feel the same way?
Have you ever done something, or thought about something that may have been wrong, and thought "It's just one little thing. It can't hurt me." I know I have!
But what happens when that one little thing, turns into a slightly bigger thing. And each little thing begins to add up, piling onto each other until it's something so big, you've lost all control!
In my life, many times I come across small blocks in the road. I can chose to stick to the path I know is right (which sometimes might be a longer and harder path) or I can take the other path, which may lead right past sin (even though it looks shorter and easier)
The thing is, each time we make a decision like that, and we take on step closer to sin, it's a step that is hard to take back.
With each little stop towards sin that we take, it's two steps away from God.
Soon, we are being consumed by sin, and can't get out.
A better way to understand what I am trying to say, would be to watch this video.
I love Joshua Harris' sermons. They are entertaining, and uplifting.
So here is a question.
Have you been eaten by a beanbag today?
It might even be something as small as lying, or annoying your siblings.
Maybe you read a book or watched a movie you weren't supposed to (been there, done that).
Each time we take one small step towards sin, the steps become bigger in the future.
And soon it's easier to be allured by the look and temptation that is so often thrown right into our faces, each and every day.
It is hard, trying to stay Holy and stay away from sin. It has so many disguises in our life.
It could be a piece of clothing you know is a little too skimpy, or a song with a few too many swear words or God's name being used in vein.
For me it was something a little different
Several months ago, I made a promise to myself, and God, that I wasn't going to color my hair anymore. Not because I think of it as sinful. But because I didn't want God to think I was unhappy with how I looked.
Now that was a personal decision I made, I'm not saying we all need to do that, or that people who DO color their hair, are saying they aren't happy or that they are sinning.
But then I started being tempted to color my hair again. Not much, just maybe a shade or two darker then my natural color.
I prayed about it, and I knew, in my heart, that I couldn't do it.
My mom said she would be fine if I did it, and I pushed myself to the point of almost buying the hair color.
I felt so mixed up.
I knew it was wrong, but there was another part of me that seemed strong then that part. The part that wanted me to color my hair.
But I tried as hard as I could, to ignore the temptation, and now, it's no longer a temptation.
I was able to get over it, and once again be happy with myself, and not want to change it and instead, be happy with the hair color God gave me.
Whatever it is, we all need to pray that God helps to open our eyes to this sin. Protect us from the temptation and help keep our path clear from it.That's what I pray for every night. But even when God helps us, it's up to US to make sure we try as hard as we can to ignore the temptation to sin.
Corinthians 10:13
"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."
Rebellious: defying or resisting some established authority, government, or tradition; insubordinate; inclined to rebel.
Before reading "Do hard things" I thought rebelling was normal, I thought "If I rebel, it's fine, it's what everyone expects from teenagers."
Then I began waiting, expecting myself to rebel. How or when I would rebel, I didn't know.
I never really though of rebelling as evil, so when I looked up "Rebelling" in my Bible index, I was surprised at some of the verses I found.
One verse explained that rebellion is as bad as the sin of witchcraft. (1 Samuel 15:23)
Then I realized, rebelling, in any way, is wrong, and if rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, then I want no part in it!
For the longest time, I didn't even know why teenagers rebelled.
It wasn't until recently that I began looking into it.
I began reading every single "Rebel" related verse in the Bible, learning what God thinks of it.
Q: So why do teenagers rebel?
A: To be in control of their own life, and live by their own rules, despite what others may say.
Did you know that an angel once rebelled against God?
The punishment; he was thrown out of heaven.
Satan thought he could do better then God, he thought of himself as more powerful.
Satan wanted things done his way, and that's what it means to rebel.
Ignoring the rules and doing your own thing.
Psalm's 78:17 says "Yet they kept on doing their own thing and rebelling against the Most High,"
When we rebel against our parents, or any other an authority figure in our life, we are rebelling against God.
Yes, unfortunately it is very common for teenagers to rebel, but that doesn't make it right or mean we all need to rebel.
Each time I disobey my parents, or God, I am rebelling, I'm not proud of it, but I've done it.
Instead of rebelling against God, we'll "rebel against rebellion" and prove to the world that not all teenagers have to rebel.
“Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him.” Exodus 23:21
“If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and will not listen to them when they discipline him,” Deuteronomy 21:18
As a child, I loved to spread God's word. I would tell all my friends about God and His son Jesus, and all about His plan for each of us. I knew enough about Satan to know that I didn't want anyone to fall into his trap.
I remember at one time, when I was about ten, we had a Japanese student staying with us. Hiromi was amazing, and like a big sister to me. I loved her and wanted her to know about God.
So one night, I stayed up for hours telling her about Jesus, and how I knew when I died, I was going to Heaven. I told her how Jesus loves us all and wants us all to go to Heaven to be with Him.
Now remember, I was ten at the time, so what I said probably wouldn’t sound exactly like that. But you get the point.
By the end of the night, she asked Jesus into her heart. She was seventeen, and I was ten. That was one of the best moments of my life.
Then a few years later, I brought our eleven year old Korean student to Christ. He was so excited, he talked non stop about it to his friends. I was so thrilled to know that I was able to bring him so much joy.
I continued to tell friends about Christ for years. Then I had one friend, who was rather stubborn, and didn't want to really listen. She said she went to church, so she knew about God and Jesus.
When I asked her "Did you ask them into your heart?" she said "No, but I used to go to church, and gave tithing and read the Bible."
That made me sad. So many people think that because they go to church, and read the Bible, they are a Christian.
I wanted to tell her more, show her how exciting, and amazing it is to be a Child Of God, but I didn't want to seem pushy.
I had already talked to her about Heaven and Hell, and she said she knew all about them. But I wanted to much so tell her more! But I didn't think I could do that without seeming pushy. And she didn't appear to want to discuss the topic anymore.
So that brings up a tough question. How can we minister to our friends, and tell them about Christ, without being preachy or pushy? Which might just end up driving them way.
It's hard, because many people find religion a very touchy subject. It was always hard for me to get to the point in the discussion, where we were both comfortable about what was being said.
It was always awkward at first. All this religion talk suddenly coming out of no where? I always worried people would think I was nuts for brining it up.
Thanks to God, they never did. And I know it was His will that they come to Him, otherwise they could have easily turned away and thought I was insane.
Just imagine, this seventeen year old, listening to a ten year old minister to them. Some people would think "Oh she's only ten. Why should I listen to her? She doesn't know what she's talking about!" then walk away.
I am so glad Hiromi and our other student listened to me though. Because they did, they now know about Gods undying love.
I also ministered to a young girl that my Mother used to baby-sit. She asked Christ into her heart as well. And my mom told her little brother about Christ. He too asked Him into his heart.
I was so proud that we had been able to minister to those two children. They grew up in a very non-Christian home, and it would have been very hard for them to find out about Christ on their own.
Honestly, I can't tell you how to minister without seeming pushy. What I can tell you is, don't bring the subject up over and over and over again if they don't want to hear it.
It will only make them not want to listen all that much more. If you drop the subject for the time being, God will work on softening their heart. Who knows, one day they may come to you for spiritual advice and want to learn more about Christ.
Mark 16:15
And He said unto them, "Do into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation!"
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