The REAL Thing

What direction should I look? There are three big screens in front of me and the stage. The singer is in the center and I can actually see him but my eyes wander to the large animated screen way above the platform. I find myself alternating looking to the left, center and right side alternating from the different angles and views. It is kinda neat to see the details of the guitars and even the cool necklace the singer is wearing. After a while that I start to feel a neck pain coming on from holding my neck up so high. I find myself mentally reprimanding myself to redirect back to watching the actual person...the "real thing" on stage.

Have you ever found yourself in this predicament? The different views and bright colors capture your attention and you find yourself looking into a monitor the whole concert. Could you have just stayed home and watched this from the comfort of your own living room?

Well this recently happened to me and God spoke to my heart with a thought. Conveniences can keep us from seeing the reality of where God is in our lives. Our eyes quickly turn to the bright flashing things and we tend to forget that God is in the simple everyday. We don't need to see the fine details or try to see more than what we should. Seeing God and focusing on Him and only Him is the only thing we should be viewing. All the other things are fluff and can be distraction. We go to concerts to see someone perform live and not on a screen. When we want a word from God we want it one-on-one heart-to-heart and not via a second party or screen...We want the REAL THING! Keep your focus on Jesus the author and the finisher of your faith!

"Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."  Hebrews 12:2

Adjust That Crown!

Jonna

*Time Out Corner

I remember getting sent to the corner when I was little. Although I cannot EVER remember doing anything to deserve it. Haha. I was an angel! I hated being in that corner. I was isolated and had to keep my nose pressed against the wall or my time would get extended. It was dark in that corner and dusty and sometimes had spider webs. You couldn't see anything from that vantage point and it would make me go cross-eyed. Everyone would see me in the place of shame and giggle. I was humiliated. I am a middle child and consequently a people pleaser and nothing hurts my feelings more than to know that I have disappointed someone. I would promise myself to never do anything to get me back in this place. Ever! But yet somehow found myself there over and over.

You ever been in trouble? The walk to the principals office or even to your boss's office can be gut wrenching and your heart starts pounding and you think, "What did I do?" You play scenarios over in your head about why you are getting called in. Well, that is what I do. I guess I have a guilty conscious!

There are many times in my life as an adult that I can remember where I felt like a failure. I wasn't able to follow through with something or I felt bad because of a missed opportunity. I should have known better! I would beat myself up.  I remember being ashamed one particular time and I continued to tell God in prayer that I was sorry. I was sorry that I didn't obey the still small voice, I was sorry that I didn't listen to instructions and messed up a situation that He was working on through me. I was sorry that I lost my temper and said something that I couldn't take back. I found myself feeling like I should be punished. I found myself actually saying, "I don't deserve your love and compassion. I don't deserve your grace. I don't deserve your mercies."

God gently reminded me that NEVER was there a time that He ever sent me into a corner because of my failures. NEVER was there a time that He chastised me and told me to isolate myself in shame. NEVER did He ever tell me to go to my room with head hanging low to think about what I have done. But He ALWAYS has been faithful to direct me when I was lost. He has ALWAYS helped me up, dusting off the shame and setting me on the right path. He has ALWAYS used the trials that I have encountered to make me better and to grow me. He isn't frowning at me and pointing his finger towards the corner.

      "My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size - abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become."  2 Corinthians 12:9-10

That is the great thing about Mercy. It is the withholding of a punishment that we really do deserve. It is all about what we should have gotten but because of the gift of grace and the extension of mercy it is withheld. We want to put ourselves in the corner of shame and the cool thing is that God wants to put us in a place of mercy. Mercy is like seeing a prison and knowing that you should be in it and being oh so grateful that you are free! He wants to give us one of the greatest gifts and it is like we are turning our noses up and refusing to take it. Jesus died so that all of these things could be given freely to whosoever will.

So give yourself a break when you mess up....look up, acknowledge it and receive the forgiveness. Stop punishing yourself. You are ever so deserving of His gifts and you have to remember who you are...it is a right and a privilege of a child of the King. Aren't you glad that His mercies are new every morning?

Adjust That Crown

Jonna

Not My Circus, Not My Monkeys

I have heard this phrase "Not my circus. Not my monkeys" many times before, but I prefer to put the monkey first because I usually get involved with people first and then I get drawn into their circus! Haha. It really reminds me of when my boys were little and I was struggling to find balance in my home and in my sanity. I felt like a ring leader in a circus trying to direct and not get eaten by the lions or trampled by the elephants all the while trying to entertain and look like I had my act together.

The reason why I really like the phrase is that it isn't my drama and I can choose to walk away from it and have no stress. Maybe I can secretly smile as well knowing that this for once doesn't involve me and I am going to quickly be on my way so that I do not somehow get sucked in!

We all have been in situations where you know that if you say something you end up looking like one of the clowns. In a moment of innocence you want to give your opinion or even try to help someone in need and you find yourself getting the short end of the stick. This reminds me of a situation at a grocery store one day when I noticed an old man in a wheelchair trying really hard to reach something on one of the upper shelves. I watched as he attempted several times to get this item. I couldn't handle it any longer and asked him if he needed any help. He turned and looked at me and loudly said, "I am not an invalid. Just because I am in this chair doesn't mean I can't do anything!" Just as he said that a few cans fell on him as well as on the floor. I bent over to pick them up and he said, "Get away. I don't need your help." I was shocked and saddened by his response. I looked at him and said, "I know that you don't need my help but I want to help you." I put the cans on the shelf then turned and got my basket and went to the other aisle. I avoided him the rest of the shopping trip, praying that God would help to heal his hurting heart

Sometimes it is easier to avoid people and avoid the inevitable conflict. I think that is why people these days do not stop to help people on the side of the road or get involved in fights or other disputes. People want to help and have giving hearts but are afraid of rejection or of getting hurt. There are many good Samaritans who have lost their lives just trying to help others. But what about the everyday squabbles especially involving social media and wanting to defend someone or even put your own opinion out there?

"Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies."      Phillipians 4:8-9

Well if a situation doesn't really involve you then it may be a very wise thing to first reflect on why you are thinking of getting involved. If your motivation is anything less than for the good of everyone then you definitely do not need to be a participant. If your wanting to convince someone to see your "right" way and that their outlook is totally wrong...well that may be a great indication you might not need to jump in. If getting involved is going to cost you time that you don't have, sleepless nights, or strained relationships then please back away! There are some things that come with a cost too high to justify the heartache. If you aren't going to be part of the solution then don't be part of the problem. Get involved only if you are able to be a healthy part of a solution. And trust me...sometimes drama will not have a solution other than all parties choosing to close their mouths or choosing not to be that "keyboard warrior". Jumping onto a pile when you can bring no added value just muddies the water and makes a really big mess.

Jesus wants us to act in wisdom and be people that can bring truth to situations. Loving people even has its costs but if you act with a heart of love then you cannot go wrong. Measure your motives and make sure it lines up with the Word of God. Will you be a witness of what God would do or condone? Will others see Jesus in what you write, say or do?

Because remember, if we don’t learn how to free ourselves from all the trivial distractions then it does become our circus and guess then who the monkeys are....



❤ Jonna

Learning to Crawl

There is this statement that I have heard all of my life, "You've got to learn to walk before you can run." Well that is awesome and all but I propose a better phrase and that would be "you have got to learn to crawl before you can walk." Parents of babies know this all too well. There has been some that have actually skipped that whole step! My son Trey crawled for a day, started walking and never looked back.

Unfortunately most of us have to go through the slow and often frustrating steps to get where we need to go. Watching a baby attempting to walk is comical but also anxiety ridden. They cry when they fall because it is scary and I am sure very aggravating! Sometimes the fear will cause the baby to just be resigned to crawl and not attempt the "scary walk" anymore!

You may laugh at this but that is me in regards to fitness. I want to be fit but find myself failing and on my backside crying about it. Every Monday I start and usually won't make it to the next day without bombing. Then I wait another month or so to attempt it again. Working out is scary not to mention painful and well...I love to eat! Let's not even mention the whole gym thing which can cause any fluffy insecure person to want to do a drive by and just pull into Marble Slab and wallow in chocolate goodness! Oh...I know that is just me! =D

It is time for me to get myself back though. Don't get me wrong...I do not hate myself with all this extra fluff BUT I know that it isn't healthy and in the back of my mind a voice is calling me out..."Jonna. You can do this! Kick your "self" and get with it. Get fit. You will feel better and live longer. You need to do this as a representative of me." It's not audible but it is a yearning that my spirit is calling me up to a higher level and it is causing an all out world war 3 in the flesh!

Why is the will so hard to overcome? The flesh is in NO way more powerful than our spirit man. So I am putting myself out there and saying...I will be conquering this flesh! And by telling you...I am being accountable to someone and that my friend is half the battle. 

"So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you." Romans 12:1-2

Instead of starting Monday as I usually do; I will be starting Sunday...why not...it's the Lords day and I am giving this all to Him. With His help and knowing that I am not fighting against flesh and blood (not even my own) but principalities and powers...well it gives me a new insight! So let's start crawling together towards whatever it is that is holding you back from being a better you. With Gods help & each other we will win that prize and feel great too at the end of the race!

How about you?

Adjust Your Crown!

Jonna

*Warning Labels

I had bought some face scrub the other day and couldn't wait to use it.  I picked up the container to
read the instructions and started laughing to read the comment "for external use only. Not intended for internal use." Really? Is there anyone out there trying to scrub the INSIDE of their face? haha. It just really cracked me up UNTIL I started looking at other items around my house.

-ZQuil sleep aid: "Warning. May make you drowsy"
-Hair Dryer: "Warning. Do not use in water or while sleeping."
-Iron: "Warning. Do not direct steam at people or animals or iron  clothes while wearing them."
-Lighter: "Warning. Keep away from flame"
-Shampoo: "Warning. Do not ingest this product"
-Hairspray: "Caution. Do not spray in eyes"
-Can of whipped cream: "Do not inhale contents"
-Container of nuts: "Warning. Contains nuts"
-Sun shield in Car: "Caution. Do not drive with sunshield in place"

Doesn't all of this just make you laugh? Unfortunately though I have a feeling that these labels would not exist if someone hadn't tried to do this before and got hurt or sued the company. Warnings are all around us and I understand that although they seem so silly; we all need information and instruction. Just like the ten commandments in the Bible; we all know that lying, stealing, adultery and killing are all common sense things that we would never do intentionally. God knew what we needed when He presented them to Moses. Mankind needs rules and most importantly we need it in print.

^"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

What warning labels are you heeding to? I am sure you are not trying to inhale whipped cream but maybe you are struggling in another area of your life. God has given us warning labels and we need to heed them. They are put in place to help us stop and reevaluate what we are doing. You will never see the warning in print though if you do not read the instructions....the Bible is our instruction in life and is chock full of stories that are to help prevent you from making the same mistakes as others did. It also is full of encouraging things to give you hope and to remind you that you are loved!


Adjust That Crown!

Jonna

*From the Outside In

Formal occasions do not come often and if you have ever been invited to attend one then you know the stress of what a "black tie event" might be like. All the knowns and the unknowns that come with such a party can be terrifying. Do you really wear a "black tie" or does that mean a tuxedo? What do the ladies wear? Should I stay with a black dress or choose something of color? These worries are only a very small part compared to the anxiety of a four or more course meal adorned with a sea of utensils!

My eyes turned toward my husband at such an occasion and he had a definite look of bewilderment! There were 3 glasses and a coffee cup with saucer to our right, 4 forks, 4 spoons, 3 knives, two small plates to the left and two large plates stacked up on top of each other of differing size in front of us. There was a fancily folded napkin and a nameplate and various items in the middle of the table with a giant arrangement and with all the fanfare and the opulence of everything I remember my head started to swim. I whispered to Don not to touch anything and just in case we could wait until the first person starts and follow whatever they do but that I was pretty sure that you work from the outside in.

Our drinks were poured and then it was realized the third glass was for wine which we didn't want so they took one glass away. One less thing to worry about! Bread was brought and to my obvious horror Don reached out and took a knife and started to butter his bread. I had told him what I had thought about the etiquette of multiple silverware BUT I also added a lack of confidence statement afterwards. Kinda like, "I am positive but I am unsure." Haha. I looked around the table and was amazed to see that everyone was following him! Someone made the comment that they didn't know "what in the world to do" and was glad that someone knew! Don just smiled and we faked it until we made it.

It is ironic how you can feel like a "fish out of water" in a situation but with a little bit of boldness be the leader. God has called us to be leaders and to be the hope for people in our circle of influence. We might not always know what to do but with His help and the courage that he gives us everyday...to walk by faith we have the ability to do anything.


 "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Psalms 46:1

Adjust That Crown!

Jonna

Those Pesky Flies!

It is really hilarious how one little pesky fly in the house can cause a person to go from being an adult professional to a raving lunatic. Running around jumping on chairs with a rolled up piece of paper swatting furniture, hitting the walls, even slapping  peoples faces in hopes to squish the elusive fly. How can one fly be EVERYWHERE?? It always seems to be one step of ahead and can I even add that I think it taunts and laughs at how slow we are. I have thought that I had caught a fly once just to realize that it had survived and landed on my head. That is when you just get the can of raid out and proceed to fumigate the whole house!

Little aggravations and frustrations can really get you. Just like the fly it comes in our space while we were minding our own business and proceeds to steal our peace. It shows up and it will not relent. Before we know it our emotions are getting a little out of control and we start showing our "character" to everyone. We start running here and there and anger starts showing and before we realize it our mouth is in bad need of extermination!

Jeremiah 17:18 and Psalm 1:3 both instruct us to be like trees firmly planted. First Peter 5:8-9 teaches us to be well-balanced and self-controlled in order to keep Satan from getting the best of us. As Christ followers we are to be rooted, established, strong, immovable and determined. Philippians 1:28 tells us to be constantly fearless when problems comes against us. Psalm 94:13 says God wants to give us power to stay calm in adversity. All of these scriptures are referring to being stable in our emotional life.

The answer here is preparation! Keep the door closed to the enemy getting in to steal your peace and always keep a good fly swatter handy. Everyday there is an opportunity for us to get upset or to be blind sided by an issue BUT if you are prepared you can ACT and not REACT and that is the key to successfully keeping those pesky flies in your life at bay.

Adjust That Crown!

Jonna