*Out of Control

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you were wronged by a business? You call within hours of noticing you got a totally different product than what you purchased and then talk to the salesman and alert them to your situation fully knowing that they will agree quickly and make things right. Right? But instead you get a long pause and then you hear the words, "I am sorry. There is nothing we can do about that." You incredulously pause while you feel your face turn red while trying to formulate your response. "What? Are you being serious?" Then you wait for a laugh or maybe even for them to say they were kidding.....but they don't.

We all are in situations where we could lose control but it is our responsibility to keep ourselves on track. We cannot blame situations and circumstances for what we say or what we do. The "devil" can't make you do anything just like I cannot blame the store manager for infuriating me. We all make the choice on how we control ourselves. The Holy Spirit can and will help you stay in alignment if you just listen His voice. Jesus assures that we are given a Helper that abides in us:

“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” John 14:16–18

The Greek word translated “Comforter” is parakletos, meaning “to call to one’s side”. This Comforter or Counselor, the paraclete, is God the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity who has been called to our side. The Spirit is “another” helper, meaning “of the same kind”; with the same essence and nature of Jesus. The Spirit took over the work that Jesus had been doing with the disciples, and to have the Holy Spirit as our paraclete is to have God Himself within us.

So when you are feeling like you are getting "out of control" and about to let emotions run wild; remember to call someone to your side. In actuality you aren't to be in control at all...you are to be led of the Holy Spirit with every word and every action. We all want to be in control of our self and it is only normal to mindlessly think that we can take care of everything on our own. So we have to remind ourselves daily of who we are and who we represent and bow to His authority.

If you are truly being LED then when you find yourself in predicaments you will have a wealth of wisdom to draw from. Just because we are Christ followers doesn't mean that we are to get ran over by people; but we CHOOSE the words to say and they will bring around good results. With God on our side we can and will find favor that the world only wished that they had. So today.... go and be all "out of control" and let Jesus and the Holy Spirit be your guide.

Adjust that Crown!

Jonna

*God's Will for YOU

So many people fret and worry about God's will for their lives. Some even say that they have lived their lives and never even knew what God was leading them to do and they experience regret. Some think God directed them to do a particular thing and when that thing looks hard they doubt it and retreat. Others think that they aren't good enough to do "the will" of the Father because they don't think much of themselves and never feel like they will "get there". Well let me relieve you of something... 

God’s will for your life is not about whom, or if, you should marry, which job you should accept, or which neighborhood you should live in. It isn't even if you should be in ministry or tell that co-worker about Jesus. The perfect and first thing that God wills for your life is that you become the beautiful person that He made you to be that reflects His image. He wants you to become that person that shines with the character and look of Jesus. 

“What does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good?” (Deuteronomy 10:12-13; Micah 6:8)

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2)

If you strive to do that and to be that then nothing can stand in the way of you doing what God calls you to do. If you have your heart and your life right with Him then He can lead you and guide you to do exactly what He has called you to do. When you are in position He will meet you right where you are at and everything will fall in place.

Adjust That Crown

Jonna

*I am Grateful for Everything in my Life

I am grateful for everything in my life. Does that in itself sound lofty? Well it is the month of "thanks" where everyone on social media likes to write out what they are thankful for and people in general seem to be more aware of their general attitude of what they have. While we all love to read those posts and even get tagged in some; there are some people who may just plain not feel like being thankful.

People may be struggling, they may be weary or even feel like God has let them down. I am sure we all have been there at some point. God may seem distant, like He's far away or doesn't really care about what's troubling them. Painful life blows and losses might have recently sent them spiraling.

Those thoughts and feelings should not be diminished or trivialized at all because they are real feelings. What I want to remind everyone about is that we have a choice every day, to give Him thanks. We have a choice to remind ourselves who we REALLY are in Christ. Situations and feeling can cause ourselves to see things in a way that isn't exactly the truth. We have to look at what we are going through and say:

 "God, I know there is something good that is going to come out of this! I know that when I get through this I am going to be a better person. I am CHOOSING to trust you; that you are working this out for me and although my ways are not yours and I cannot see how all of this is going to work out in the 'bigger picture' of my life; I know that you do. So I in faith proclaim thanks and I CHOOSE to have a grateful heart despite what I see or feel. God I will take the weight of my issues and problems off of my shoulders and I give it to you because you are God and only you can transform it from a mess to something beautiful."

So with a heart of thanksgiving we can realize that no matter what we face; we have a God that doesn’t just work to change our situations and help us through our problems. He does so much more. He CHANGES our hearts. His power working through hearts of gratitude and focused minds on Him; releases the grip that our struggles have over us. We actually can be strengthened by His peace and refueled by His joy.

When we live life with a spirit of gratefulness and show it by expressing our thankfulness despite our circumstances; we are opening a door for God to do something wonderful IN us a well as THROUGH us! So look at the good and the not-so-good situations that you are going through and speak in faith and declare the goodness of God and the promises of God over it. It is in this way of living that pure joy can be found as well as victory over anything and everything and can and will be your GREATEST testimony of the saving and loving power of Jesus Christ!

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.” Psalms 103:1-5

Adjust that Crown!Jonna

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