Opinions

An old man and a young boy were traveling through their village with their donkey. The boy rode on the donkey and the old man walked.

As they went along they passed some people who remarked it was a shame the old man was walking and the boy was riding. The man and boy thought maybe the critics were right, so they changed positions.

Later, they passed some people that remarked, "What a shame, he makes that little boy walk." Hearing this the man and the boy then decided they both would walk.

Soon enough they passed some more people who thought they were stupid to walk when they had a decent donkey to ride. So, they both rode the donkey.

Finally,  they went by some people that shamed them by saying, "How awful to put such a load on a poor donkey."


Moral to the story? Out there in life someone will always find something negative to say about you no matter what you do. So be confident and listen to the voice that is the authority in your life...God and Godly counsel. The opinions around you are only comments based on limited information that doesn't define who you are. It is important to remember the old saying, "Opinions are like arm pits...everyone has them and most of them stink."


But one the other side of the coin it is good to remember that we should NOT believe all the good as well as all the bad that is said about us. Re-evaluation is a healthy thing and we all need "tweaked" now and then. Just don't let someone change the direction in your life unless it wisdom that you know lines up with The Bible and the voice of your savior for...YOU!

Adjust that Crown!

Jonna

Ahhhh Massage!

How funny is it that we do not hesitate to remove our clothes and inhibitions and let a complete stranger massage our body! I just went to a very nice spa and got the BEST massage of my entire life! I was WAY too eager to strip and get under those warm covers and let this lady I met literally 60 seconds before touch my bare flesh and try to work out the knots and stiffness I have allowed to creep in.

It has been a tad stressful recently and I could feel the tightness in my shoulders and neck. It was amazing how the masseuse knew right where to focus just based on how my muscles felt. She worked on my neck and shoulders for almost 30 minutes alone. I was amazed about how loose and easier I could move. It was an amazing 80 minute massage!

Just think what God could do in our lives if we were willing to fully undress and reveal our vulnerable sides and let Him work out the difficult areas of our life. Our shoulders aren't meant to carry all that stress and tension. He wants us uninhibited and free to carry about His purposes in a joyful and victorious fashion! Let it GO!

Adjust that crown!

Jonna

Fringe

Fringe defined: 

1. An ornamental border made of hanging material used as a decoration                

2. A narrow area along the edge of something

3. An area of activity that is related but not a part of what is   central  

4. Something that is marginal, additional or secondary to a process

I don't know about you...but I love fringe! Fringe on furniture, purses and even clothing is so beautiful not to mention quite expensive. I have this heavy upholstery fabric blanket that I adore that Don bought me and all around the bottom of it is this large, thick fringe that unfortunately my dog loves as well. I love the way the fringe drapes around me when I cover up with it...so very nice! Fringe is really pleasing to the eye but what I have found out is that it just doesn't hold up to time or wear and is quite high maintenance!

Fringe is both loved and hated in the upholstery world. It adds alot of monetary value but is hard to attach permanently since it isn't a central part of the woven fabric piece. Most items need to be hand-stitched or double stitched with a sewing machine to ensure it will stay but like any furniture salesperson knows....if it experiences high use then it isn't gonig to be there for too long. And for clothing items or blankets...well forget throwing it in the washing machine because it will definitely come off!

Being a Pastor's wife I have seen many types of people come and go in our churches. There are actually people right now in our church that Don and I label as "fringe people" just between ourselves. These are people that are valuable to us and they sometimes are part of minstries in the church and are faithful. What makes them fringe is the fact that they have never fully committed to the vision of the church. They are distanced from the central part of the heart of the church and at times are off doing their "own" thing and dangling "by a string". Many times with heavy hearts after a situation or difficulty occurs; we have seen them fall off the grid altogether.

Why do people like to stay "in the fringe"? Well good question! My opinion is that they are afraid of committment. When you are so tightly woven in something and a part then you have your hands in everything! When something goes wrong you feel the pain and when something goes right you experience the joy because it is a part of you. You have many woven areas of your heart intertwined in others and in relationships as well as ministry positions. You want to help make the place the best and you use your talents for just that so you are not so easily moved or hurt enought to uproot and go elsewhere. But when you are in the fringe you can rejoice in the joys as well but also not take part in the pain of a mistake. Non-committment protects yourself and puts you in the position of leaving and in fault-finding. You reserve the right to complain since you didn't have a part in that. There are no long- term hurts and you haven't really put much into relationships so it is so much easier to disappear.

The gift of community that we have in a local church is not simply Christians who are really nice to each other and the people they go to church with. Genuine community is more like a movement where groups of people have been set free by Christ to pursue radically different agendas with their life and lifestyles together. Doing life together in a way where we really need each other brings Christ and his Kingdom very close to this Earth. For Jesus once dwelt among us as a humble servant; and he continues to dwell among us in this same way. As Paul writes in Philippians, Jesus takes up residence in brothers and sisters who, "being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose," consider others better than themselves and look to the interests of others above their own". 

If you find yourself in a "fringe" situation then do something about it! It is where the enemy wants you....separated and not connected from the people and the support you need! You say that you don't "feel a part of the group"? Well...yet another lie of the enemy! Jump in and stop being the victim. Your insecurities are NOT what God says that you are! You are a part of the family of God that will exist for all of eternity together so why can't we be together here on earth? Fringe is beautiful but so is a gorgeous tapestry that is woven together and interwined to make a pattern that is coveted and valuable. Be a part of what God wants in the Church...UNITY. Where you find unity...you find a good thing. 

Adjust that Crown, 

Jonna

The 5th Vital Sign

Monitoring signs of life as a nurse include blood pressure, pulse, respiration and temperature and all are considered routine things. These measurements are vital though in diagnosing problems and reassessing them will show if a patient is stable, improved or if their condition is worsening. In 1999 pain was added to this vital sign list in the healthcare world and was labeled "the fifth vital sign".

Many physicians realized that pain affected pulse, respirations and blood pressures in a way that if not paying attention to pain; then they were not seeing the whole picture. You cannot treat a blood pressure without addressing pain because they directly affect each other. Pain needs to be fixed first and then naturally blood pressure will be corrected if that was the origin. Health care is a ever-changing field and if you are "doing it how it always has been done" then a physician, nurse or hospital is missing out on new signs and symptoms and innovative treatments that could help them diagnose and have better outcomes for their patients.


Just like vital signs in people; churches need to be monitored for increasing or decreasing life. Every church has preaching, teaching, worship, missions and fellowship. Is there something we are missing? We work so hard to have what we need for our people and new converts. But does that address the full picture? If we are truly a growing organism then the passion of reproduction inside our walls should be also a priority outside of our walls. What if Mercy were the 5th vital sign? What if addressing pain was added to the list of priorities in the church?


The Bible is pretty clear about how Christians and the church should care for one another. Mercy is compassion, blessing and favor despite a person's situation and that doesn't just include those who are saved. There are two different things that we need to look at here: First, how are we helping our members and secondly, how we are impacting those in our community. I believe that Church is a hospital for the hurting but unfortunately sometimes we get so caught up in ourselves that it is so easy for us to live communally. It is so easy to feel safe in our fortress that we created and protect ourselves from the "evil that lurks beyond". Helping the hurting can be messy!


Showing mercy is a characteristic of life in God's kingdom, it's a demonstration of power. The Beatitudes in Matthew 5:7 explains that mercy is one of the marks of righteousness, a gift of God. God has made it possible; so naturally his people must do it. When Christians mirror the heart of the one who has saved them it brings a new level of living and victory. Jesus told the parable of the good Samaritan. Modeling mercy to our "neighbors" is part of the basic response of God's people to his covenant. True Christian faith produces genuine compassion and fruit in the form of acts of mercy toward those in need. It was this characteristic of mercy that caused Christ to go among all kinds of people to help. Believers are to respond to the mercy shown them in the same way. Because much mercy was given to us .....we need to give that same mercy to others.


I believe that Mercy is the factor that is going to affect our life, growth and our ever-changing culture. There are so many hurting people out there; the needs are vast and where and how we get involved and to what extent has blurry lines but what I do know is that the mix of truth and mercy coupled with the wisdom of the holy spirit is what is going to reach others in these last days. We all need to check our own vital signs and re-evaluate and re-prioritize what is working and what isn't working. God help us to be the heartbeat in our communities that fulfills the Great Commission and be the effective help for the hurting in every place we go and in every word we speak.

Adjust that Crown, 

Jonna

Choose Happy!

The Savior specifically prayed that God would not take us “out of the world” (John 17:15) and therefore out of our problems or trials. “In this world your joy is NOT full,” Jesus taught, “but in ME your joy IS full”. True happiness and satisfaction are found only by turning away from the worlds thinking and renewing your mind in Christ. So CHOOSE to get to church and revive yourself; CHOOSE to rub elbows with others who are in the same "boat" as you and no matter how your morning is going....chaos and mayhem all around...laugh at your situation that is by the way--just a season....and CHOOSE to be happy! 

You are alive and breathing and we all tend to take the truly amazing gift of life for granted! :))

Adjust that Crown!

Jonna