No shirt, No shoes, No service

I was at Fry's Electronics enjoying my day. And all of the sudden my flip flop broke! It just came apart and Was flopping around! So here I was walking around this giant store with one shoe on and holding the other. I was so embarrassed! I went to the bathroom and looked in my purse for anything to fix it. I didn't have super glue or duct tape (who carries that?) so I threw my shoes in the trash. No sense walking around with one shoe on...that looked even dumber than no shoes! 

We were looking for a computer to buy for Trey and trying to decide on different sizes and styles when a salesperson approached me. She said, "Ma'am I am going to have to ask you to leave. You need shoes to be in this store." I proceeded to tell her that my flip flops broke as I walked into the store but she didn't care and didn't listen. She pointed at the exit and my bare feet and told me to leave!

 I was shocked! My sister and my son Trey couldn't believe it either and they both started to laugh because that is how my family shows love. Ha. 

My face felt hot and I told her I would be happy to leave after we were finished looking at the computers. She once again; only this time loudly, told me to leave. And pointed towards the front of the store like a crazy person. So my sister and my boys went ahead of me to the exit. I was so upset and embarrassed that I didn't realize I had walked to the entrance instead of the exit and the door would not open. 

The lovely and best employee EVER yells loudly, "Ma'am, that is the entrance...please proceed to the exit." Now everyone in line is looking at me...I have no shoes and apparently now I cannot read either! I looked and probably was talking like a crazy person at that point. 

Humiliation arose as well as anger. I walked out into the parking lot. To make matters worse...I stepped on chewing gum on the way to the car!!!!! Now I am laughing and crying at the same time. We all were. It was a big thick purple and hot piece of gum and i had to pull on it for an eternity to get it off.

As I scraped the gum off of my feet I wondered what would cause someone to treat another person like that. I was dressed kinda sloppy and my hair was in a pony tail and I didn't have hardly any makeup on. Or was she simply following the "No shirt. No shoes. No service" rule?

I am still unsure to this day. But what I do know is this: everyone you encounter is going through something so we should treat each other with dignity and respect. We never know the circumstances that a person is going through so make sure you do not judge anyone based on their looks or presentation. If the lady would have taken the time to hear what I was saying she might have found it funny as well and we together would have agreed that I needed to go buy a pair of shoes as soon as possible. All I know know is that I will NOT go shop at Fry's Electronics EVER! 

Don't let your words prevent someone from entering the doors of your church or from wanting to ask Jesus into their heart based on bad communication or a negative representation that you make. Likewise, people are not always going to line up with what we think they should look like or talk like either.

 Sometimes in our need to follow the scriptures we get religious...God's first command for us though is to LOVE. Thankfully, if someone among us has no shirt or has no shoes....that is our call to action! We are to serve others. Apparently that Fry's employee forgot that she was there to SERVE the customer.

Isaiah 52:7 says that beautiful are the feet of them that bring Good News. I am grateful that God loves my feet even though Fry's Electronics didn't seem to care for them at all :))

Adjust That Crown!

Jonna

The Master Pianist

A mother took her 8 year old son to a great concert hall, black tie event to hear Paderewski the famous composer-pianist. The boy became restless waiting for the concert to start so as his mother visited with friends he slipped from her side and onto the stage. He was drawn by the Steinway and climbed up on the stool and stared wide-eyed at the keys. He placed his small trembling fingers in the right location and began to play "Chopsticks." The roar of the crowd was hushed as hundreds of frowning faces turned in his direction. Irritated and embarrassed, they began to shout: "Get that boy away from there. "Who'd bring a kid that young in here?" "Where's his mother?" "Somebody stop him!"

Backstage the master overheard the sounds out in front and quickly put together in his mind what was happening. Hurriedly, he grabbed his coat and rushed toward the stage. Without one word of announcement he stooped over behind the boy, reached around both sides, and began to improvise a counter melody to harmonize and enhance "chopsticks". As the two played together, Paderewski kept whispering in the boy's ear: "Keep going, don't quit, son. keep on playing.. don't stop....don't quit."

And so it is with us. We hammer away on our project, which seems about as significant as "Chopsticks" in a concert hall. And about the time we are ready to give up, along comes the master, who leans over and whispers: "Now keep going; don't quit. Keep on...don't stop , don't quit!"      --Author Unknown

We are so blessed that when we find ourselves in the middle of a mess that our savior is right there helping us, encouraging us and sometimes even carrying us. Our Master can turn anything bad around and make it good. We can do all things through Christ who gives us strength! Phil 4:13

Adjust that Crown

Jonna

Impatiently Waiting

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” 

                                     Colossians 3:12

I was feeling put out; inconvenienced and impatient. You ever feel that way?

Thanks to the criminals who’ve decided to manufacture their own medications, the antihistamines that effectively relieves allergy symptoms is now available ONLY behind the pharmacy counter! So now everyone has to wait in line, show your ID and sign to get the medicine you need! Unfortunately it is a big inconvenience especially when your head has sinus pressure as big as Texas! So I reluctantly got into the dreaded line.

There were two men in line in front of me. The first man, the one taking forever, was probably in his thirties. He turned back to smile apologetically numerous times at the people in line as the clerk took her sweet time trying to get his insurance to go through. I didn't smile back. What in the world was taking so long??

 She seemed to know the man, or at least be familiar with him, and made polite conversation while trying multiple magic formulas with her computer keyboard. Finally, she asked for his wife’s social security number. I couldn't believe that he had to call his wife to get the number and after he got it, he kept talking to her, as though we had all day and night to stand there and bore us with his phone conversation. Her social security number didn’t work of course either; so he told the clerk it was okay and that he’d figure something out. 

I wanted to do fist pumps in excitement but the clerk insisted on continuing her efforts. Boo! This guy obviously did not have valid insurance or something and needed to get out of the line so the people who had all their information together could check out! (I was screaming this in my head)

The man right in front of me who was second in line, starting swaying and shifting his weight from foot to foot like a chained elephant, possibly with the idea that somebody might notice his obvious distress and open another register. It was right there – a register with nobody on it. Open it already!!! This is why I don't go to Wal-Mart! I found myself rolling my eyes and tapping my foot and I think I might have sighed a few times as well. The guy in front of me nodded in agreement. Nobody seemed to notice or care about our body language.

I was asking myself how long I was willing to stand there when a second clerk appeared behind the second register. Oh thank goodness! She greeted the man first in line and asked how he was doing, totally oblivious to the now really, really long line and the empty register where she clearly ought to be signing in on!! I was trying to tell the guy in front of me to go to her register line but she was making NO moves in opening at all. He hesitated and didn't move. Ugh!

To my dismay and really total astonishment...she continued to chat while the other clerk called the insurance company to get approval. The conversation surprised me. More toe tapping and sighing.

 “Hey, where’d your hair go?”

“Well,” he said bashfully, “I didn’t want to have more hair than my wife so I shaved it.”

And right then  it was as though time stood still.....I realized both clerks knew this person and he must be quite a frequent customer and even worse...his wife must really be sick. My toe tapping stopped.

As the talk continued I listened eagerly; they discussed the man’s wife, her improvement and the oncologist’s advice.  And I wished at that point that I was invisible because if anybody happened to look, they would have seen such shame washing over me. And everyone knows I blush BIG TIME. I felt such guilt and embarrassment. I put my head down when the guy in front of me tried to give me eye contact. I am sure he was feeling horrible as well. I wanted to run and get out of there. I truly hoped no one I knew was in line behind me!

I should have been grateful that I had the twenty minutes to spend standing in a line, or that I can even stand at all, that I had enough money to buy medicine and insurance to pay for it. My whole perspective changed and what I saw before as a incompetent person became a hurting and broken person in my own eyes. 

Soon afterward, the lady opened the second register and quickly helped the man in front of me and I found that I was no longer in a big hurry. In fact as it was my turn I smiled at the man still struggling to get approval for drugs costing more than $750 dollars! If I had the money I would of given it to him! 

It took no time for me to get home and get comfortable, fed, and medicated for temporary seasonal allergies; but I could not stop thinking about that man and his wife. I wondered if they have children and what their days are like. I thought about the workers at the pharmacy and how kind they were to take the time to talk to someone obviously going through a hard time in their life. How he must of appreciated those words. They didn't appear to be Christians but just really nice people. 

How much more should I be to the world around me? God help us to be observant and have a heart of love no matter the circumstance! The next time I’m stuck in a line, I think that I will pray for the people ahead of me.... instead of just praying that they’ll hurry up. Think on that. 

Adjust that Crown!

Jonna

The Cycle of Failure

Many women feel like a failure; I know that sometimes I do. Deep down I know that I am far from a failure. I know that I fail,  but that I am not a failure. I disappoint, but I am not a disappointment. Yet I find myself in this battle; whether it is weight, beauty or relationships and at times I feel like I am losing. Is there anyone else out there that feels the same way?

We all, no matter how perfect we look on the outside; we all have secret places where we are not living in victory all the time. Unfortunately, these times color our whole way that we view ourselves. It becomes a barrier for us to move on. If left unchecked, can become a wall that will actually separate us from the love of God.

We are terrified to expose our inner truths for fear of being rejected by other people and sadly, that keeps us isolated and feeling alone. Is your struggle food, alcohol, yelling or anger, do you lie or maybe you think yourself unattractive, not smart enought or maybe you have a lack of confidence? Any of these things can cause emotions so deep that we find ourselves depressed and we tend to fall back into the mess that disgusts us about ourselves in the first place! It is a cycle that needs to stop!

God knows every one of our struggles and the mere fact that we long to change ourselves is sign that we are meant to have the promise of victory. Our very dissatisfaction with our weaknesses point to the reality that continuing to live in them is NOT the destiny we are meant to have!

I think that sometimes we don't invite God into our struggle. Don't you know that HE wants us free more than we do? We feel shame and that isn't a bad thing but it isn't going to get us to our freedom. Self-discipline isn't going to make the cut for long either! Trust me....I have been so shamed that I almost ate a giant giant bag of M&M's myself in one sitting and going on a strict diet when you have an eemotional eating issue....well....let's just say that when you fall off the wagon...It is a really BIG FALL!

Spiritual Discipline is the key that I am finding that is going to unlock the many padlocks in my life! There is a HEART issue that has to be fixed first before becoming free and being what God created you to be. It is an inside-out process! I have been for years focusing on the outside-in! There is no miracle pill!

I LOVE lists and when I am starting on a diet plan and I have "finally made up my mind to do it for REALS"....I name it. I have been known to say, "30 days to terrific" or "60 days to sexy". My husband just smiles and doesn't say anything....he is a smart man! ha. These lists set me up for failure....they are usually totally unattainable and predict goals of losing 50 pounds in a month. I wish!! My willingness to prepare sets in motion the cycle of failure once again. :(

I had to come to the realization as well....God isn't going to love me any more than He does right now. Sounds simple, huh? Well I had to conclude that I need to love myself where I am at. I need to try to stop saying, "I will do that when I am fit or when I look good." "I will do what I know God wants me to do when I am confident enough to do it & that will be a size 6"....of course that is when I look good according to my own eyes. 

Do I have all the answers to this dilemma? No, but I am seeking God's help and guidance. I truly want to be the best I can be...not for myself but for God. It's all about the process of becoming. I know that the more I become like Christ then the more I will become what God has created me to be.

Somewhere deep down inside my created destiny is there; she might be badly bruised and covered in junk and isn't very pretty! BUT God can call her out and it is all up to us....the choosing, yielding, desiring and relinquishing, the trying and even in the giving up.... is all about choice!

God's plans for us are a process and his eye is all about eternity. His plans for us aren't for a quick fix....He is slowly,  carefully and intentionally unveilling things in my life and I have to recognize that what I think is a "failure" is just part of the process of becoming. I don't want to be a gerbil on that wheel to nowhere! God help us to be overcomers THROUGH you! Phillipians 4:13 is my all time favorite scripture because the strength for the work to change doesn't come from ourselves at all.....but from GOD. We can do ALL things THROUGH Christ who gives US strength!

Adjust that Crown!

Jonna 

What are YOU Looking for?

A traveler came upon an old farmer hoeing in his field beside the road. Eager to rest his feet, the wanderer hailed the countryman, who seemed happy enough to straighten his back and talk for a moment.

"What sort of people live in the next town?" asked the stranger.

"What were the people like where you've come from?" replied the farmer, answering the question with another question.

 "They were a bad lot. Troublemakers all, and lazy too. The most selfish people in the world, and not a one of them to be trusted. I'm happy to be leaving the
scoundrels."

"Is that so?" replied the old farmer. "Well, I'm afraid that you'll find the same sort in the next town."

Disappointed, the traveler trudged on his way, and the farmer returned to his work.

Some time later another stranger, coming from the same direction, hailed the farmer, and they stopped to talk. "What sort of people live in the next town?" he asked.

"What were the people like where you've come from?" replied the farmer once again.

"They were the best people in the world. Hard working, honest, and friendly. I'm sorry to be leaving them." 

"Fear not," said the farmer. "You'll find the same sort in the next town."

What is it that you see in others? At lot of times we perceive things based on unmet expectations and disappointments. When you travel from relationship to relationship and from church to church...you tend to carry baggage that you might not be aware of. When you find yourself complaining and seeing the worst and talking negative abot the people around you...it might be time to examine YOURSELF!! You might be seeing the world throught dirt-colored glasses!

It is so EASY to see the fault in others and not see it in ourselves. I know that for a fact! I was going to tell this lady a thing or two one day about her bad attitude and the looks and snide remarks she always gave. I had it all planned out in my head....what I was going to say and how she was going to give these lame excuses that I could easily cut her into pieces! Yep...I was confident I was going to come out shining and she would be at my feet begging for mercy. 

WELL....unfortunately it didn't turn out as planned. LOL. She spoke with me very candidly and explained what she saw in me and I had to literally shut my mouth using my hand! I was the one in the wrong and all along I was blaming it on someone else!!!

You might be saying....NO WAY....but I am saying YES WAY! I haven't always been poised! LOL. I have learned so much on this journey in life and I STILL stumble and make mistakes.

Unpack your bags and stay and work things out in difficult situations. If we are to become more like Jesus then we have to be teachable and we have to realize that problems and difficulties refine us and make us smoother and more loveable and better able to co-exist with others. Just like rocks in a stream that get smoother and smoother when the water knocks the rocks into each other. Those are some of the prettiest rocks! I want to be a smooth rock and not a rough one that hurts others when they touch me or that is hurt easily by others.

Unity is so important and if you find yourself always at odds with others...well....you might just need a little polishing my friend. Some people I know (from other churches of course! ha) get upset at the smallest of things and blame and point fingers. I don't know about you...but my mom always told me that when you point your fingers at others...there are 3 other ones pointing at yourself. That gives me 3 opportunities to make sure that there isn't anything that I need to correct first before talking to or blaming someone else. See...we always are given a way out...IF we are self-aware! We need to get some rose-colored glasses to see the best in everybody and every situation...because we are called to LOVE!

The Most Important Commandment: 28 One of the religion scholars came up. Hearing the lively exchanges of question and answer and seeing how sharp Jesus was in his answers, he put in his question: “Which is most important of all the commandments?” 29-31 Jesus said, “The first in importance is, ‘Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.’ And here is the second: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ There is no other commandment that ranks with these.”  Mark 12:28-31

Learn it from me and not the hard way.....when other's try to help you: take it and go with it because if God has to deal with ya personally about something...it just isnt' as easy and a little bit messier! Remember Jonah? Selah!

Adjust that Crown!
Love you!

Jonna

Hummingbird or Vulture?

Both the hummingbird and the vulture are found in our nations deserts. Vultures see rotting meat, because that is what they look for. They thrive on that diet. But hummingbirds ignore the smelly dead animals and look for the colorful blossoms of desert plants.

The vultures live on what was, the past. They fill themselves with what is dead and gone. But hummingbirds live on what is and seek new life. Each bird finds what it is looking for. Don't we all?

Vulture types look back on their mistakes. They look back on missed opportunities. Vultures live in the “would-a, should-a, could-a” mentality. They hold grudges to others mistakes and do not apply the “forgive and forget” attitude. They swarm over dying prey waiting to pounce and they looks so dark and hideous!

However, the hummingbird is always looking for the bright new flower. They seek the sweet things in life and are so beautiful and carefree! Flitting around bringing smiles wherever they go!

Which are you? Vulture or hummingbird?

Are you seeking life giving relationships or do you enjoy gossip and words that destroy? Evaluate your life and what you naturally gravitate to. A vulture is created to be just that...but YOU were not. You were created to love life and to look for the good and sweet and to spread smiles wherever you go.


Adjust that crown!

Jonna

Confessions of a Pastor's Wife

Yesterday I was outside of Academy talking to some friends who happen to go to my church and one is a board member; when I got tongue-tied and said something I have never said before!

It was embarassing....I was attempting to tell a story about why I was off work and was supposed to have said, "hello, yes I want Friday off" and instead said, "hell yes I want Friday off". There was a brief pause in our conversation that I quickly filled in with rapid nonesense all the while wondering how in the world that happened!! Finally after a few agonizing minutes we parted ways and my boys said, "Mom! Did you just say 'Hell yes?'" I replied that I was all tongue tied and it didn't come out right. Trey was high-fiving me and saying that I am no longer perfect and of course they laughed and teased me. I was red and humiliated.

Well...I ended up texting Leonard and Dawna Lee hours later and apologized for what I said and tried to explain. She sent me a reply back that stated that she never thought a thing of it. She thought she misunderstood me and to make matters worse...she hasn't even thought of the situation since.....until I texted her. Ha. Great!

Well hello, yes...I am not perfect! I am so glad for friends though that love me and know my heart. They are gracious and assume the best instead of the worst. I know some who are quick to judge you and string you up as guilty no matter the explanation. They want perfection...even if they cannot live that out for themselves.

None of us "have arrived" and I am so glad that God's mercies are new every morning! I am in need of it already again today!

Adjust that Crown!

Jonna