*Guard Your Heart

You can effectively protect your car from theft, your home from burglary, your property from damage, your financial interests from failure, your body from personal illness and injury, and even the borders from terrorist attacks - and yet fail in protecting this one, all-important thing? This one singular failure will effect every area of your life.

Guarding your heart is the most important thing that you can do!!

With all the latest technology such as anti-theft devices for your car, video cameras and audible alerts for your home whenever someone comes close...what do you have for your heart? Who is watching it and how will you be alerted whenever something comes close to invading? It is a great question.

 Dear friend, listen well to my words;
    tune your ears to my voice.
Keep my message in plain view at all times.
    Concentrate! Learn it by heart!
Those who discover these words live, really live;
    body and soul, they’re bursting with health.

 Keep vigilant watch over your heart;
    that’s where life starts.
Don’t talk out of both sides of your mouth;
    avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip.
Keep your eyes straight ahead;
    ignore all sideshow distractions.
Watch your step,
    and the road will stretch out smooth before you.Look neither right nor left; leave evil in the dust.  

Proverbs 4: 10-27 The Message

Proverbs 4 puts it very plainly that if we keep attuned to God's voice and we concentrate and do not lose sight of what is truth and what is right then we will be bursting with health and the road will "stretch out smooth before you"....I don't know about you...but that sounds very good to me! 

Praying and reading the word sounds so fundamental and not very high tech...kinda like when you are tying to find a good diet...and you realize that none of them will work unless you exercise and restrict those calories! It is truly so very basic. If we abide in HIM and His words abide in us then we can ask what we will and it shall be done. (John 15:7-8) Sound good to be true? Well it works if you work it! 

Guard what comes in your head my friend!

You are Graciously Adorned 
❤Jonna

*You are Responsible for YOU

You are not responsible for the choices of those around you, but you are responsible for you. 

With all the drama on social media and in the the World sometimes we just need to be reminded. Don’t let a disruption in your relationships be caused by you. There may be times that you realize that peace cannot be found because of the attitude or opinions of others....but as for you...YOU seek PEACE at all costs. Sometimes it may seem impossible but you do have access to some pretty incredible things....you know the greatest source of peace...the Prince of Peace!  

“What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” Phillipians 4:9

“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23

As Christians, we ought to be known as peacemakers. We should reflect the character of our heavenly Father. Now there is a BIG difference between Peacekeepers and Peacemakers....one doesn't get involved in the mess but balances to keep peace; where the other goes into a situation and is confrontational and MAKES peace. I am not saying that peacemakers confront in the natural; although at times it is needed. Peacemakers confront what is going on in the spiritual world. You do know that everything that has an action has a reaction, right? You have heard that before in regards to physics? Well everything in the natural has a spiritual element as well. If you find yourself in a physical fight with someone....I guarantee you that there is a WHOLE lot going on in the spirit. 

We are called to be people of peace and we sometimes call it down from Heaven! Our fight is not with flesh and blood but principalities and powers of darkness. If we can get this in our heads and in our hearts then we will not take everything we hear and see personally. We won't ever get bitter and hateful because we are aware that the enemy is after our hearts, our lives and our families and we will go straight to prayer! We will not attack others but pray for others...this is the effective way of peace.

“For He Himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility” Ephesians 2:14

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” John 14:27

Jesus is our ultimate example of what it looks like to be a peacemaker. He left heaven to live on this broken earth, to be rejected and scorned, die a brutal death, and bear the full measure of the wrath of God in order to make peace with mankind. Being a peacemaker is not a glamorous role, but it reflects the beauty of who God is. 

You are not responsible for the choices of those around you, but you are responsible for you. 

You are Graciously Adorned
❤ Jonna