You are HERE!

Have you ever been lost and stopped at one of those big mall signs and started looking for the large red dot that says, "you are here?". My how handy those things are! You just look up the store you are trying to find and then start out from the dot right to where you need to be. I am defintely directionally challenged so those large maps are a life saver.

Today I saw an elderly couple looking at one of those maps at the large hospital I work at. I hardly even know where I am going half the time but I couldn't resist the urge to help out any way I could. They looked puzzled and frustrated and were so close to the map that the man almost had his nose pressed against it. ha. To make it even funnier....it is one of those high tech touch screens and they kept touching it repeatedly so it would never stay on the right screen to help them.  I asked how I could help them and they said, "we don't know where we are and we don't know where we are going." I chuckled and said, "well...I can only help with so much." They smiled and together we found the "you are here" dot on the sign and looking somewhat intelligent; I managed to give them directions to their destination. They were suprised that it wasn't near as confusing as what they were making it out to be. I watched them meander slowly down the hall and made sure that they made the appropriate turn, and when they did...I went on my way with a smile.

The cool thing about being "lost" is that God always knows right where you are at. You might not have a clue about what in the world you are doing and feel all alone and frustrated...but he has you marked and knows "you are here" and according to Isaiah 43:16 He will make a road through the sea, and even through rough waters just for his kids. Thank goodness we have the Bible as our map...it has all the answers we need. Although sometimes it can be daunting and confusing...He will give you revelation if you just ask!

The beauty of it all is that you can start right where you are AT! Even though you feel lost and frustrated..there is hope! That is how God is. He meets you right where you are and uses what you think you don't have as well as what you think you can't do or be. He sees the "dot" and shows you the way out of your circumstances and situations and no matter where you are...He has a plan for your life.

God will point you in the right direction and even lovingly watch you; making sure you make the appropriate turns...He cares for you dearly and wants the best for your journey and will even smile at you as you go. So when you are feeling overwhelmed and alone and unsure of what to do...go to the map and find yourself....it will put it all in perspective. You will find out..you really aren't that far off from your destination after all.

Adjust that crown!

Jonna

Learning from Thumper

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I just love in the Disney cartoon Bambi where the little bunny Thumper is reminded to watch what he says and what he does. It is so cute how after being reminded by his mom, he has to repeat the wise words from his father, "If you can't say nothing nice then don't say nothing at all." This is such great wisdom that we can use in our lives everyday by what we say and do. 

Have you ever had a thought and was so tempted to speak it out or do something but felt prompted not to? Well...wisdom will do that. Wisdom is not obtained in one day..in fact it is a culmination of experiences and/or misadventures that brings a person to a point that they have a new level of understanding and behavior. Thankfully we can learn by other's mistakes and we have the ability to be "ahead of the class" so to speak IF we allow ourselves to be open and teachable.


In the cartoon, Thumper has to repeat at two different instances some things that his father just told him that very day. One was about not saying anything if it isn't nice and the other was about not eating just the flowering part of a plant and then leaving the green stems. His mother is there reminding him and getting him to repeat the advice outloud so that he will remember and also be accountable to the people around him.

What things have the Father reminded you of lately? He speak to us all and gives us words of wisdom, promises and encouragement. The Bible is overflowing with fabulous things that we need to make a part of "us". We need to repeat them daily and live by them because they bring life and hope. And if we have something wonderful in us then we have the ability to give something wonderful to others as well. 

What can we learn from Thumper? Well, that none of us are perfect and most of us need reminding from time to time of who we are and what we should be saying and doing. We all need a mentor that we are learning from because we never should stop growing and NEVER should stop learning. We need to respect those in authority over us and appreciate what they offer us and know that even if we are in a situation that is less-than tolerable...well...there is always something beneficial to be gleaned. 

2 Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed - that exhilarating finish in and with God - he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. 3 When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! 4 In this all-out match against sin, others have suffered far worse than you, to say nothing of what Jesus went through - all that bloodshed! 5 So don't feel sorry for yourselves. Or have you forgotten how good parents treat children, and that God regards you as his children? My dear child, don't shrug off God's discipline, but don't be crushed by it either. 6 It's the child he loves that he disciplines; the child he embraces, he also corrects. 7 God is educating you; that's why you must never drop out. He's treating you as dear children. This trouble you're in isn't punishment; it's training, 8 the normal experience of children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. Would you prefer an irresponsible God? 9 We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God's training so we can truly live? 10 While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God's holy best. 11 At the time, discipline isn't much fun. It always feels like it's going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it's the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God. 12 So don't sit around on your hands! No more dragging your feet! 13Clear the path for long-distance runners so no one will trip and fall, so no one will step in a hole and sprain an ankle. Help each other out. And run for it! 14 Work at getting along with each other and with God. Otherwise you'll never get so much as a glimpse of God. 15 Make sure no one gets left out of God's generosity. Keep a sharp eye out for weeds of bitter discontent. A thistle or two gone to seed can ruin a whole garden in no time.                             Hebrews 12: 1-15 The Message Bible

Make sure you are repeating the wise words from your Father today...it will bring life to you as be a blessing to the people you encounter. I love you much and don't forget WHO and WHOSE you are...children of the Most High God :))

Adjust that crown!

Jonna

Legacy

What you doing today will be mirrored by your kids and grandkids. What will they remember you by? Most of us do not have a expansive amount of money or things that will be passed onto the next generation but what we do have is eternal. What your priorities are now and what you do everyday will be repeated by the generations after you. Legacy is something we all want to leave. No where in human history is someone who wants to live their life and make no mark. We all want to leave a lasting impression.

I know that I want my kids to live better, be better educated, circumvent the issues and the trials that I had to go through and sail further and higher in life than I have. I want them to step on my shoulders and do things that I only dreamed of. But most importantly I want them to be spiritually minded and live for God in a way that is wiser than I. I want to leave a legacy of love and passion for the Kingdom of God. I want God to be happy with what I pass on as well.

The legacy that God is impressed with is founded and centered on what is most important to Jesus Christ. A lasting Legacy is like passing the baton to the next generation so that they can do greater things for the Kingdom of God. Having fingerprints all over people's lives is something that will be mirrored into eternity. And leaving a  legacy that is etched upon the

"A Legacy worth living for is found in men and women who carry on His mission for His glory. We cannot do this by ourselves, but each one of us can be responsible that our lives contain the aroma of Christ that impacts others and they choose to live for Him. It is not our glory, but His glory reflected through us; it is not our legacy, but His legacy continuing through us. There is nothing greater than a coporate Legacy and I believe that Mercy Gate Church best days are yet to come"      Pastor Don Gibson

Legacy in the greek: "A legatum" was a bequest or legacy. The words derive from the verb, "lego", which means, “to send with a charge.” Leaving your Legacy is like leaving a CHARGE to the next generation...what could be better and more powerful then that?

Adjust that Crown, 

Jonna