*EAS

The Emergency Alert System (EAS) is a national warning system in the United States put into place to enable the President of the United States to speak to the United States within 10 minutes  In addition to this requirement, EAS is also designed to alert the public of local weather emergencies such as tornadoes and flash floods and is partnered to also help out if there is a child abduction. I remember as child seeing the alert come on the television set and many times it scared me because I wasn't sure if something bad was happening or if it was just a test of the system. Now it is on ever cell phone and sometimes it will go off in a public place and everyone will get this really loud and long noise that can be quite aggravating...but it is definitely effective!

The Holy Spirit is our Emergency Alert System. He will nudge you when you are in a situation that you aren't supposed to be getting into. He will give you that "feeling" when you aren't sure what to do. He will also alert you that there is a problem that you really need to address. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to help us...and if we ignore Him then it is like ignoring an alert that a tornado is coming your way!

So what do we actually do when we hear an alert? We look at our phones and our tv's and then quickly silence it; especially if we think that it doesn't pertain to us. Well if you feel the nudge of the Holy Spirit and alert in your heart...take the time and pray about it. Do not be quick to silence the voice that is here to help you! The more you listen to the warnings then the more you will understand and learn the voice that is talking to you. Much like the president, it is a means that your savior can talk with you, direct you and even comfort you. It is by experience that you learn to walk and appreciate the Holy Spirit about being someone so very vital to you every single day of your life!

Adjust That Crown

Jonna
 

*Enemies

When a man's ways please the LORD, HE maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.                                                                                                  Proverbs 16:7

There is a story of a young reporter who approached an old man on his 100th birthday. "Happy birthday, kind Sir! Can I bother you to answer one question? In all your years, of what are you most proud?" he asked.
"Well," said the man, "I don't have a single enemy in the world."
"Really?!" shouted the reporter, "That's just incredible -- how inspiring to us all!"
"Yep," said the man, "I outlived every darn one of 'em."

I don't care who you are; in life you will have enemies. You can be the sweetest person and the most agreeable and still have people who don't care much for you. Sometimes it just has nothing to do with you! You have heard the term that hurting people hurt people? Well it just happens sometimes.

What I do love about this verse in Proverbs is that the very important word "He" is the most important and powerful part of the verse! Did you catch it? "He", that is, the Lord, makes even [a man's] enemies be at peace with him. All we have to worry about is making sure that our ways are pleasing to the Lord and He will do the rest!

When our path is straight, and God is the focus of our journey, then our ways will please Him and He will make even our enemies be at peace with us! We don't even have to worry about out-living or even out-smarting them..... Now if that isn't a great thing then I do not know what is!!

Adjust Your Crown!
Jonna

*Seeds

One of my memories as a child is watching my grandfather eat watermelon. He planted the seeds, tended the ground, harvested them and then invited a bunch of people over to eat watermelon. We would all sit outside and he would pass the salt shaker around. He loved salt!  He would pour a hefty amount of  salt on a slice and after a few bites he would spit out the seeds. I tried to do that and ended up swallowing them all. I takes talent to sort seeds at the side of your mouth while chewing and eating! I remember my mom telling me that if I swallowed those seeds that a watermelon would grow in my stomach! Boy did I make sure I didn't swallow anymore after that. haha

Even though seeds can be a pain while eating it is truly one of life's greatest mysteries. How can such potential be packed in such a small package? It is packed full of DNA to give life to so many things. In fact everything around us came from a seed. Just think about that for a minute. The chair that I am sitting in the clothes that I am wearing were all just tiny little things that were bothersome! Each individual seed has information to transform itself into something bigger and greater and replicate itself.

The Word of GOD is designated as the "seed" (Luke 8:11; I Pet. 1:23), the growth of the believer is compared with that of a plant (John 15), and the evangelization of the world with the harvest (Matt. 13:30). And these are only some examples of the symbolism of the "Seed of Faith". It's very necessary that we firmly grasp this truth, which, in essence, means that although we have so little to offer to GOD, the possibilities of faith are unlimited. When we take some of our strengths, faith, resources and abilities, and we deposit them in Him, as a seed is sown, we receive the assurance of a fruitful harvest.

Just like my grandpa who had a green thumb; we can also have a great harvest if we just plant that seed in the right places...tend to it and give it daily care and make sure it gets all the SON it can get...it will grow into something you can share and enjoy with everyone around you :))

Adjust that Crown

Jonna

*A Changed Mind

"You can change your hair, your clothing, your address, your spouse, your house....but if you don't
change your mind...then the same situation will occur over and over again." TD Jakes

I remember when my Iphone freaked out on me and I went to the Apple store to try to get some help. Somewhere somehow something went wrong when I was trying to update my phone that it just didn't work. I couldn't find any of my contacts or my photos and most of my apps were gone. My ITunes account wouldn't recognize my phone either! It was very frustrating to find out from the Apple representative that I had to reset my phone back to factory settings. The guy told me that I apparently haven't been backing my phone up or updating it when new software setting came up. The new software was there to make my phone better and had many security upgrades that I really needed to protect my phone and all its contents.


This is how most people live their lives; in default mode.  They go to church and experience something powerful, something freeing and new and yet when they walk outside of the doors they go back to the ways things were before. You can cry and plead and shout but when you get back home you go back to default. It is aggravating and frustrating but it is a way of life for many people.

God doesn't just want us exposed and effected to great teaching and revelation. He wants us to AFFECTED by it...he wants it to become a part of us. He wants to be downloaded into our hearts and into our spirit so that we can be stronger and wiser. Never to go back to default....

Until I change what my default  setting is...I will continue to go back to my original default because despite changing everything else I didn’t change my mind. Once you have a changed mind about everything around you then and only then can your heart change. There is NOTHING as powerful as a changed mind. It is the tenacity to rise up and say "enough" to your circumstances and your way of life. It is the pivotal point of great change in your life.

My prayer is that today you embrace all the promises within you and you have the faith to battle the will and emotions that flood your mind. I am asking God to help you change your mind...I am asking Him to RESET your default to the place that you are at now...NEVER to go BACK again.

There is NOTHING more powerful than a changed mind...


Adjust That Crown

Jonna


  

*Speak to your NEW NORMAL

Are you tired of the way that the world seems to be? Maybe you have gotten sucked into the griping,
complaining and the bad attitude that you see  modeled around you everyday. It isn't supposed to be YOUR NORMAL! Honking your horn at people and shouting might be what you see on your drive into work but it isn't supposed to be YOUR NORMAL! Getting offended by comments on social media and shredding someone via a "rant" to prove your point about the Jesus you love isn't supposed to be YOUR NORMAL! Slandering businesses and people because you were treated unfairly or bad isn't supposed to be YOUR NORMAL! In fact a lot of what I see Christians do isn't supposed to be their normal behavior...but it looks as if it is. This is a growing and consistent problem and a horrible witness to the loving power of Jesus Christ.

We aren't to be like the "normal people" because we aren't normal. John 17 speaks specifically about Jesus not being of the world just like His followers weren't. So I guess it is safe to say that we are ABNORMAL. So because we are abnormal then we know that our behavior, our actions, our words should be different from everyone around us. You have to find your NEW NORMAL!

Declare what you believe your new normal should be. Use your mouth to speak it into existence. If you are in debt, start confessing favor and abundance. If your child is always sick, start confessing health and wholeness. If there is division, chaos and confusion in your home, declare peace and unity. If you are finding yourself mad and angry all the time; re-evaluate your heart and make it right. Anger and malice isn't from God! Make faith-fueled declarations; for example, the Bible says that while others may be cast down or brought low when it is normal to be at the bottom, for you and I, we will remain lifted up (Job 22:29). Start adjusting yourself to a NEW NORMAL; start basking in the abnormality of a peaceful family life that comes by God’s grace.

Embrace that YOUR NEW NORMAL is actually quite ABNORMAL because it is in Christ!

"By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:35

You Are Graciously Adorned

Jonna

*Hedge Maze

In life some paths we take lead us to where we never wanted or thought that we would ever go. I have been on my smooth paths, some beautiful paths as well as some that were painful as well as scary. Trust me...I am geographically challenged and I have gotten lost plenty of times. It is amazing where one missed turn can get you! What I do know is that whatever way that I decide to take it had better be the path that God wants me to go on.

Just because we pray about a direction and we 100% feel it is the right and "Godly" thing to do doesn't mean that it is going to be easy. That is a common misconception! I have traveled in directions that I wanted to turn around and run the other way because it was so tough. I wanted to find the easy tollway or a shortcut to get me to where I am going. It is that instant gratification that our society loves. The get rich or get skinny quick ads that always get me!

Most of the times we really do not know what our journey holds. We just have to choose to put one foot in front of the other and let God direct us to places that we have never been before. He sees the bigger picture...we just can't.....until much later down the road. Life sometimes reminds me of those giant English gardens where they have those really tall and thick Hedge mazes. When you are in the middle of the maze it can be quite intimidating. The hedges are tall and you can't see your way around any of them and don't even try going through one of those bushes. All you can see is what is right in front of you. When you finally find the exit it is funny how it all seems so easy! Of course...knowing the answer now makes it all seem simple. I call that my Ah Ha moments. When I am at the end of a hard situation and I finally realize why I had to go through it and I am now actually so glad I did because I learned something! And I know that the next hard thing I encounter I will be empowered by my last accomplishment.

Our real measure of our relationship and faith in Christ is our ability to act based on what we don't know. It's the ability to stick with it even when we can't see our own way. It is in the not giving up and the tenacity to trust and know that God is with us and He is going to get us through. We grow in great faith when we focus on Christ instead of focusing on the path before us.

2 Corinthians 5:7 "We walk by faith and not by sight."

Adjust That Crown!

Jonna