*Be a Key Turner

Don and I had just left our last place of ministry as youth pastors. It was tough and we had found ourselves
in a fight. The people in that church did not like the Pastor and his wife and we were in the middle. In the middle of being supportive of our Pastors and having to deal with the fall out from their hurt and as well as our hurt in the process. We had moved back to Texas and Don had found a job that wasn't in the ministry and I was secretly happy. I was glad because I had seen the toll that it had on him and I surely knew the toll it had taken on my heart as well.

How can people be so mean when they do not get their way? Church was supposed to be the best place to work...right? Well a lot of those myths got debunked in that last 3 years! I wanted to hide out and NOT get involved in any church. I really didn't want to go to church for a while. I mean...I had attended so many services, seminars, meeting and events that last 3 years that I had met my quota for a life time! So can you imagine my dismay when Don said, "Hey Jonna I was thinking...let's go to this church over in this next town this coming Sunday." I tried  not to be negative but I knew my response wasn't one of excitement and joy. Don noted my frustration and reminded me that we didn't know anyone at that church and then he added those glorious words, "We will sit in the back." Now.... that made it more tolerable for me. haha.

Well Sunday arrived and we went inside and guess who greeted us at the doors? Of course it was two people that Don knew in high school and of course they instantly recognized each other and of course they insisted that we sit with them. Oh the rotten luck! I know that I gave Don a not-so-nice glance when they led us up to the 3rd row in the center aisle of the church! And I thought all these years that Don only knew heathens from his years at Sweeny high school!

As the Associate Pastor got up to speak that morning he stopped and paused and hesitated a few times and then in a series of most unfortunate but yet fortunate events he pointed at Don and I. Of course I turned and looked behind me to not only hear, "Can you two please stand?" but to realize that he was talking to Don and I! I was more than horrified...I was mortified. That thoughts of "I am definitely NEVER to coming to this church again. Is this how they address guests?" ran through my mind. Then I hear the minister state that God pointed us out to him and he had to be obedient. The words that he spoke to us that morning was like a healing balm to the hurt in our lives. He read our mail for sure! I was a bubbling mess of snot and tears and Don fell to the ground crying. Yes here we were the CENTER of attention in the church that "no one would know us at." God does have a sense of humor!  I will say that after that first sentence the caring of what anyone thought went right out the door....God was speaking to us and I basked in the moment. Don spent most of the service practically under the pew so I had to throw out any thought of dignity anyway!  Of course God knew right where we were at and we weren't going to hide from anyone...especially NOT HIM or HIS calling on our life.

God sends people into our lives to be key turners. To those who were at that service that day it might not have seemed like a big thing at all. God used a willing person and with a simple act of affirmation, an obedient word of wisdom it was the one single thing that we can contribute to our path to healing. It was a key that opened our hearts and opened the door to a new level and style of ministry. That person was a life saver for us and if he hadn't been there to speak it...and if we hadn't been there to receive it....well only God knows.

All through the Bible we have accounts of God sending men and women out into the world with a message. Whether it is a message of repentance, deliverance, or hope, God made sure the messengers were placed in strategic moments in time to make an impact on those around them. We are those message carriers, we are the key turners of our today. We are the ambassadors of Christ's Kingdom and I ask you this: Will you be a key turner for someone? Will you be the one to turn someone's life around? God is waiting for a person...that isn't perfect...but is willing and obedient to go and speak His words of life to those around them. You just never know what destiny someone has in them and you might be the one to release it!

I do not have a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind-1Timothy 1:7

I am determined and confident! I am not afraid or discouraged, for the Lord my God is with me wherever I go. -Joshua 1:9 (GNT)

I trust (lean on, rely on, and am confident) in the Lord and do good; so shall I dwell in the land and feed surely on His faithfulness, and truly I shall be fed. —PSALM 37:3

 

Adjust That Crown

Jonna
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*Beyond Your Nose

I know I know...most of the times my blog seems like a glorified diary! Well it is actually and if you are reading this...which I have NO idea who does or does not...then you know that I have issues. I assume we all do on differing levels. I have found myself in a funk of sorts for the last week. Not only did I find myself victim of the elusive sinus infection but I also was just in the blahs. You know...a season of being in the doldrums and you aren't really sure why or how to get out of it.

I was sitting at my kitchen table looking out the blinds as my cat was running all over the place trying to catch a fly. I was only half watching and half paying attention. I did note that he jumped on the table and then dove into the blinds. All that associated noise and chaos hardly got me out of my trance which was just marinating in all the things I should do today but really did not want to do. I really haven't been feeling joy and I don't think God was even hearing me or for some reason I wasn't really hearing Him. Anyway, the cat was flipping and pouncing and meowing and finally something ran up my leg!

Yes you are reading that right! A nice-sized lizard went running up my leg and then under my shirt and as I jumped up and started running...I have no idea why...my cat was running with me. The lizard then went up my back and when I finally came to my senses I stopped...and the lizard stopped. The reptile was now on the back of my head and before I even realized it my cat Fennick jumped at almost my full height with all claws out and landed on my shoulder. He grabbed the lizard and ran away. Of course scratching me and clawing me in the process!

I am standing in the living room breathless, speechless and really weirded out. I feel like I have a million little lizards crawling all over my body! Fennick is now in the kitchen devouring the poor lizard. I walk over to the table and see my spilled coffee, my chair is knocked over and I then start laughing. It just started and didn't stop until I started crying. It was just so funny and I could hardly even believe that it happened.

As I cleaned up my mess I started realizing that Fennick was trying to get my attention and he was trying to do what he was supposed to do...kill all the bugs and creatures that aren't supposed to be in the house! I just wasn't paying attention. I was so absorbed in how I felt and I just wanted to wallow around in my feelings and do nothing but eat cheetos...yes I was having a one person pity party.

I don’t know about you, but I’m glad God gave me a nose.  It isn't the prettiest thing and it has a nice bump on the bridge of it that reminds me of a ski jump. LOL. My nose helps me to smell, it helps me to breathe, it helps hold up those Brighton sunglasses that I love....without it I don't think I would function as I should. God didn't intend for my nose to be the extent of my thoughts. God intended for me to look beyond myself, beyond my circumstances, and beyond my feelings.

He wants us to be aware of what is happening around us.. We may not THINK God is listening and we may not FEEL like He is with us, and we may not SEE His hand...BUT of course we know that is so far from the actual truth. He is always there waving and trying to get our attention to get us back on track; to get us to see the bigger picture...to get us up and going so we can be all that He knows we can be!

Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.    Matthew 6:34 (The Message)

He might have just sent that lizard to get my attention....ummmm....please excuse me while I get myself ready for the day...I have things to do and positive things to impart to someone in my path and...of course first I have mangled lizard parts dispersed around the kitchen to dispose of!


You are Graciously Adorned!

Jonna 

*Tenacity

Tenacity means to cling to a belief or thing without doubting.  It is a set kind of faith, a determination that doesn't waver. Words that can be used interchangeably with tenacity are persistence, determination, perseverance, doggedness, strength of purpose, tirelessness, indefatigability, resolution, resoluteness, resolve, firmness, patience, purposefulness, staunchness, steadfastness, staying power, endurance, and stamina.

Some confuse stubborn and tenacity to mean the same thing. Stubborn means we won’t back down from our position—even if we’ve been shown plenty of evidence how our position is wrong. A stubborn person doesn’t listen to reason. Tenacity means we are being reasonable: We’re doing the right thing, regardless of the difficulty level, and regardless of consequences. People may try to get us to back down, and say, “Be reasonable.” But they won’t argue our position is wrong. What they mean by “reasonable” is they don’t believe the consequences are reasonable. 

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
    don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do,
everywhere you go;
    he’s the one who will keep you on track.
Don’t assume that you know it all.
    Run to God! Run from evil!
Your body will glow with health,
    your very bones will vibrate with life!
Honor God with everything you own;
    give him the first and the best.
Your barns will burst,
    your wine vats will brim over.
But don’t, dear friend, resent God’s discipline;
    don’t sulk under his loving correction.
It’s the child he loves that God corrects;
    a father’s delight is behind all this.
Proverbs 3:5-12 The Message

What kind of tenacity do you carry? Are you representing Jesus and going after Him with all the determination, resoluteness and endurance as you would if you were working out 5 days a week at 5am at your favorite gym class or at a professional football game that cost a fortune and you are sweating buckets but going to stick it out because your a fan? Does a little sweat and a little heartache get you off course of your Christian walk? Oh we can choose what things we can tolerate and all too often when things get a little tough people just fall off the "spiritual" wagon. Before they know it they are saying "God, who?" like they have lost their ever loving minds! Yet they put everything they have into material things that reap only earthly rewards. No wonder they are miserable. All of these are points to ponder. Like any great thing in this life....if you work hard at it and with all of your heart then you will have the benefits of a tenacious life. Nothing wonderful and lasting comes easy and nothing that comes easy lasts.

God created us for GREATNESS and in order to do that you have to have some tenacious faith to get up everyday and trust Him no matter what consequences or obstacles are in your way. So grab a hold of His promises and never let go.

Adjust That Crown

Jonna

  

*Moving On Up

Don and I traveled to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho to attend a Convoy of Hope conference to help raise money for their upcoming projects. I was so excited and I really needed this week to get away and make a dent in this book that I have been playing around with. I have found myself doodling instead of writing and couldn't wait to enjoy the scenery and looked forward to a great view of this renowned Coeur d'Alene lake to give me inspiration. You know where this is going, right?

Well we checked in and it was the smallest room I have EVER stayed in. My bathroom and closet at home is bigger than the whole room! I was disappointed but did not speak it to Don. I am sure he was wondering as well. haha.  I didn't want to be ungrateful. So I anxiously went to the window and looked out the beautiful wooden blinds and what did I see? You will NEVER believe it! Our room is one of six rooms out of the 350 in the resort that has windows to the INSIDE POOL! yes you heard me...INSIDE POOL!  I was at that point unable to contain my excitement. I looked at Don in horror and he said, "Well lets hope it closes early?" It didn't. The lovely inside pool...which I will admit is quite exquisite opened at the blessed hour of 6am and closes at 11pm.

Have you ever wanted to yell out about an injustice and just complain? You have every right too...anyone else would, right?  I wondered why I was the chosen one of the 6 unfortunate people to get this type of room at a hotel that I might add... is sold out? We turned on the TV very loud to mask the hall noise as well as the pool noise and tried to make the best of it. We laughed about it all. The distance from our door to the window is only about 20 feet and we sat on the bed as the bell boy barely could fit all of our luggage in our room. It was incredible!

I bit my tongue many times because what I wanted to do was just spew out things about the room that I didn't like. Now lets NOT forget that we are in one of the most beautiful places in the country for a week! Outside has smells I have never smelled before...that is called FRESH air! The scent of the trees and the beautiful surroundings is enough to make you swoon! Plus we are here to help the unfortunate starving and under-privileged people of the world with Convoy of Hope....and I am thinking of calling the front office to complain. I should be ASHAMED!!!
 

But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.     

                                                                                Galatians 5:22-23 The Message

 

I truly believe that God cares about even the little things in life and He is looking for every opportunity to bless us and sometimes we mess that up with our mouth or actions. This morning we noticed that the glass shower door does not close and when you use the shower water gets all over the floor. I told Don that I would call about it. I called the front desk at 6:20am because I just couldn't sleep anymore and Don went to play golf already. A very nice man named Jacob answered and I told him about the shower door and that it needed repaired and it looked like water damage already to the wall in the bathroom. I was friendly and nice and really wanted to continue the conversation about all the things that I didn't like but He surprised me when He asked me a question:" Mrs Gibson. How is your room overall?" I stammered. I had a zillion things at the tip of my tongue I could say; including the sight of the lovely elderly gentlemen that was sitting in the hot tub this morning eating a banana in a speedo and talking VERY loudly on his cell phone at 6:10am! But before I could say anything Jacob said,  "The reason why I ask is that we had a lot of complaints from that area on the 2nd floor with noise from the pool and the hall...we had a few people call last night." I agreed with him and told him that the sound of screaming from the pool was a little bit hair-raising. He said to me, "Well we had a cancellation early this morning and I am going to move you up to the 17th floor Park Tower. You are so lucky to have called because it just happened. Would that be okay with you? It has a fabulous view of the lake and even a living room and a gas fireplace." I felt faint and managed to choke out, "Okay." We will call you in a few hours to let you know when it is ready. Is there anything else we can do for you today Mrs Gibson?" Ummmm no I think you did just fine. Thank you so much! I hung up the phone and was amazed and somewhat speechless. I wasn't lucky at all...I was blessed.

 

I am not saying that I live perfectly and that I deserve favor all the time....I do not. But God continually speaks to us in the little things and this morning I truly believe that He was telling me that having a heart of love and grace and extending mercy is His heart. We can find the negative in anything but what is hard is to realize is that if we put our focus on the wrong we will never see the fabulous positive things that are right in front of us. If we live God's way He will bring gifts into this life that is so sweet and meaningful...that you would have never believed it or even have thought to ask for it.

 

Excuse me now while I pack my things up with a smile on my face as I hum "I am moving on up to the eastside to the deluxe apartment in the sky. I finally got a piece of the piiiiiiiie". (The Jefferson's theme song) haha

 

 

 

Adjust That Crown

 

Jonna

 

 

                  

 

Blessed AND Highly Favored

We toss the term "I am blessed and highly favored" around these days kinda like "What would Jesus do?" years back. It's catchy and people tend to say it when they are being blessed and want to give the credit to God. Sometimes I use it when things are going not so well and I just declare it into my circumstances. This term is definitely truth and is a promise that God has given us as His children. We ARE blessed and highly favored!

The proclamation "blessed and highly favored" was made in Luke 1 when the angel of the Lord came
to Mary and told her that she was to have a son. I don't know about you but if I was an unmarried pregnant girl back in the Bible days I don't think I would be considered blessed. I don't think this got her favor of a close parking place at the local mall either! People would definitely be judging and possibly be disowned by family and friends. This was scandal and drama of epic proportions! When Mary was looked at by others it had to have been hard to explain her favor or her blessing and not just when she was young....but possibly for the rest of her life.

" the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹ And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”     Luke 1:28-33

What Mary knew was that she was carrying the presence of God; the savior of the world. So she could hold her head high even amidst the whispers because she had the knowledge of that promise.
Nothing in her outside circumstances had changed...this "gift" didn't make her richer or give her any kudos or material favor of any kind. What Mary rejoices about is not what God has GIVEN her but what God has BECOME in her....blessed and highly favored.

 

When God promises to bless you, he is saying, ‘I’m going to make you into everything I’ve
ever meant for you to be". It means that God is taking every day and every single thing that
happens in it—good or bad—to make you stronger, to mend whatever is broken inside, to
change you into the person you were always meant to be. The blessing is what God is making
you into and the knowledge of Jesus He is bringing to others through you.

Now if you happen to get a front row parking space at the mall you better declare the favor of God; especially if it is on a Saturday! haha. What I am getting at here is that being blessed and highly favored isn't totally reflective of what is happening in the material aspect of our lives...it is really what we are carrying on the INSIDE. We are the living, breathing ambassadors and carriers of the presence of God! We can rejoice like Mary because God has chosen us to carry the hope of the world; now we just need to get to work at delivering it.

Adjust That Crown

Jonna

 

 

  

You are NOT your failures

The solution to dealing with our past or present failures is living life on God’s terms. Lay everything down at His feet and move on and don't look back. If the all knowing and powerful God can forgive you....then who are you to NOT forgive yourself? Rise up and finally accept who you are in Christ....not perfect but forgiven....and start living like it! We are not our failures.

8 ^1-2 With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ’s being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.

 

^3-4 God went for the jugular when he sent his own Son. He didn’t deal with the problem as something remote and unimportant. In his Son, Jesus, he personally took on the human condition, entered the disordered mess of struggling humanity in order to set it right once and for all. The law code, weakened as it always was by fractured human nature, could never have done that.

The law always ended up being used as a Band-Aid on sin instead of a deep healing of it. And now what the law code asked for but we couldn’t deliver is accomplished as we, instead of redoubling our own efforts, simply embrace what the Spirit is doing in us.

^5-8 Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God’s action in them find that God’s Spirit is in them—living and breathing God! Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing. And God isn’t pleased at being ignored.

^9-11 But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him. Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won’t know what we’re talking about. But for you who welcome him, in whom he dwells—even though you still experience all the limitations of sin—you yourself experience life on God’s terms. It stands to reason, doesn’t it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, he’ll do the same thing in you that he did in Jesus, bringing you alive to himself? When God lives and breathes in you (and he does, as surely as he did in Jesus), you are delivered from that dead life. With his Spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ’s!

^12-14 So don’t you see that we don’t owe this old do-it-yourself life one red cent. There’s nothing in it for us, nothing at all. The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life. God’s Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go!

^15-17 This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what’s coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we’re certainly going to go through the good times with him!

^18-21 That’s why I don’t think there’s any comparison between the present hard times and the coming good times. The created world itself can hardly wait for what’s coming next. Everything in creation is being more or less held back. God reins it in until both creation and all the creatures are ready and can be released at the same moment into the glorious times ahead. Meanwhile, the joyful anticipation deepens.

 

^22-25 All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it’s not only around us; it’s within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We’re also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance. That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don’t see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.

^26-28 Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.

^29-30 God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.

^31-39 So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God’s chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture,

 

None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.     Romans chapter 8; The message Version

 

 

Adjust That Crown, Put your Head up, And Move Right Along

Jonna


 

*Loving Your Neighbors

Hey I am just like anyone else. I want to like my neighbors and I am sure my neighbors want to like
me. In fact...doesn't the Bible say that we should LOVE our neighbors? Well I am not sure Jesus was aware of the subdivision that I live in and the many "spies" that report  small and trivial indiscretions with their yard etc.

Between the barking dogs and the fact that we only mow our grass every other week...well that good neighbor thing just sank. One day we found a photo of our yard on our neighborhood Facebook group. Yes that was a blessing! Someone wondered why our grass was so much higher than all the other people on our street. Well it took a team of wild horses and someone taking my phone away for me to NOT respond!

Are we a good neighbor? Probably not. Apparently we really need to get a muzzle for our dogs and we need to hire someone to come weekly to cut grass. Maybe then we can redeem ourselves! Have you ever felt like it was harder to be a Christian witness to people that live near you? Well you are not alone. It is difficult because little pressures and stressors that are trivial to real everyday problems get in the way. I think it is in how we deal with the criticism and the prodding. It can be very hard! There have been times that I could have reported someone or taken a picture of trash in their yard to be vindictive just like someone did to me....but then I have to remember that God called us to love people. (thank you holy spirit for reminding me!)

The Golden Rule can be found in Matthew 7:12. This famous quote by Jesus Christ actually begins in the verse 7, which says we can go to God for our needs and receive help from Him: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” The next few verses elaborate on this thought. Just as a caring human father gives good gifts to his children, so, too, God gives good things to those who ask Him (verses 9-11). Verse 12 then concludes the thought: “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (emphasis added throughout). The word therefore connects the Golden Rule verse to the preceding assurances that we can ask God for help in our lives and receive it.

So the way that I look at this is that the way we treat others sets the standard of how we will be treated by God! So if I want God to give me mercy in my time of need then I need to GIVE mercy to others. Sometimes it does FEEL like the "bad" guys are getting away with everything under the sun and you just keep giving and giving. That is when we need to seek help from the Lord! Ask Him to change your attitude and see past the physical stuff and see the truly important and eternal spiritual aspect going on. Trust me...in time and with God's help you will start to be blind to other people's indiscretions...all you will see is a person that God loves and so in turn you will love. I am in process of this....but I haven't arrived yet! I still get an itch when someone parks on my lawn but God is helping me.

If you love God you have the overflow of love that will naturally pour out on others. Love does not seek itself but it looks out for the well being of others first. Being a loving and good neighbor might just mean that you stop your car and get out and pick up that trash in their yard or move their trashcan out of the road or baking cookies for your neighbor who you in fact know reported you to the HOA.

Going the extra mile and doing something for someone else is the best witness we can have. I can post scriptures all day long on my social media but if I am not taking care of the "trivial" things that are important to them; then maybe my neighbors will never see the important things that I really want them to see....that being....Christ that lives in me. :)

Adjust That Crown

Jonna

*Captivity

I have been to the zoo many times. I enjoy going and looking through the cages at all of the beautiful animals. Something inside of me of course appreciates the protection of the steel between me and the wild species; but I also feel bad for the poor animals. They didn't choose captivity. Somewhere in Africa there are many giraffes running free and somehow these few were captured and sent here for our enjoyment.

It truly reminds me of all the people that I encounter. So many live freely and then there are others who seem to be living in captivity. It makes me sad that through circumstances that many had no control over that they have been held captive by the acts of others. They didn't choose this hurt and this abuse and it just doesn't seem fair when so many others had a healthy childhood, healthy marriages that some seemed to only have struggle. I know...it is called LIFE...but I still do not like it!

Why does anyone choose captivity? Well, captives do get fed. On a regular basis. They’re safe in their cages, their cells, their prisons. In the movie The Shawshank Redemption, longtime prisoner and now ringleader Red has been incarcerated for decades. He confesses, “These walls are funny. First you hate ’em, then you get used to ’em. Enough time passes, you get so you depend on them.”

Prisons can be safe and comfortable. They can become a known life, a familiar way. Resignation is safe; dreaming is dangerous. Letting someone else control your life is easier than rising up to deny them that control; the relationship will never be the same. Living under shame can feel far easier than fighting for your own dignity. The known is always more comfortable and less risky than the unknown. After a while, those animals in the zoo forget they were even made for the open skies, the wild savannahs. This is a horrible place to come to. Not a one of us was created to live in captivity.

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1

God has done everything, won everything, and given us everything we need to live in freedom. We are meant to walk in it, more and more. We won’t walk gracefully into it all the time. But by the grace of God, and with his help, we can stumble into it. One thought at a time. One day at a time.

Most of us are probably still laboring under the impression that freedom comes first in our circumstances, and then we can experience love, joy, peace, patience, and all the other wonderful fruit of the Spirit. Not so. God usually begins first with the transformation of our attitudes; then he can change our circumstances.

Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the Cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life— no longer at sin’s every beck and call! … From now on, think of it this way: Sin speaks a dead language that means nothing to you; God speaks your mother tongue, and you hang on every word. You are dead to sin and alive to God. That’s what Jesus did.… A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death. Rom. 6: 6, 11; 8: 2 MSG

I am not saying that finding freedom is easy. It isn't. But the first part of being free is realizing that between you and others; including your relationship with Chris is a steel bar. The separation is what you need to realize. You might have been done wrong but your offenders are out free and you find yourself in a self-made prison. It is time to break out of that thing! We were not made for captivity...just like every animal in the zoo...they are never content because they were made to fly and run just like you. They may suffer through but deep down they know that they were made for greater.

You were created for so much more than you even know; so whatever you need to do to start the process of freedom; it needs to start today. You are more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus so put it all out there to Him and trust me...if you do that...He will make a way where there seems no way.

Adjust That Crown

Jonna



 

*Repossession

I have never had anything repossessed before but I have known plenty of people who have. I
remember once after church a lady was frantically looking for her car in the parking lot and couldn't find it. She was crying and we helped her call the police. When the police arrived they did a report and then a call came in over the radio and the officer approached the lady and told her that her car had been repossessed. The look on her face was pure horror; I suspect embarrassment had a whole lot to do with that. She knew that she was delinquent on some payments but had no idea it was at the point where they would come and get the vehicle.

Repossession comes when you have a payment agreement and you cannot meet the obligation. It is when you decide to take on something thinking you can do it but things happen and you find yourself unable. Good intentions will only carry you so far.

God says that He wants to repossess your reins. He wants to take control of your life. You have tried to do it all by yourself and it is just not working. The only problem is that He cannot take it all from you...because He created us with a will and He will not go against that. Although He would like to take it from you...He is craving for you to give it willingly to Him.

That choice is a battle. There are things in your life that you want to control. You want to make your own rules and we really think that we know what is best. We need to let God be God! Start by saying, “God, I’m giving up control, because you can control the things that are out of control in my life.”

“Let go of your concerns! Then you will know that I am God. I rule the nations. I rule the earth”
Psalms 46:10

Whenever we face out-of-control situations, we tend to go to one of two extremes. For some of us, the more out-of-control your life gets, the harder you try to control it. Some of you do the exact opposite: You just give up! You have a pity party and invite yourself to it. Both of these reactions to stress are foolish. They don’t work. Instead of being a victim or becoming hyper controlling, you need to pray the prayer of surrender.

There is a lot of stress when you are in conflict with God. When you try to control things that only God can control. You can’t control your husband or your kids or your wife or your job or your future or your past or any of that stuff. The more you do it, the more you’re trying to play God, and that puts you in opposition to God. Not only are you going to lose that conflict, but you’re also going to be tired.

Millions of people pray the Serenity Prayer, which is based on the Lord’s Prayer, but most have never read the last eight lines to the prayer: “Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time, accepting hardship as a pathway to peace, taking as Jesus did this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that you will make all things right if I surrender to your will so that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with you forever in the next. Amen.”

That’s where the power is! There is power when you surrender to God the very things you’ve been trying to take control of from Him. Jesus paid the ultimate price for all of us and the only commitment we have to our creator is to love Him and worship Him for who He is. He doesn't want anything to be forcibly taken away from us...He longs for us to have peace, hope and joy and to rely on Him. Ask God today to repossess and take away all the things that you have been holding on to today. Hand it over and give it to Him so He can do what is best. After all, He is just the God of the universe and He kinda knows what He is doing :)))

Adjust That Crown

Jonna

 

*Stinky Armpits

Let us for a quick moment forget the lovely topic of actual politics...and talk about the new and insightful "political correctness" police that can get us all in trouble! You post a photo of your dog playing with a ball and you get comments condemning the kind of ball you "let her play with". Those types of responses cause us all to feel rejected and angry at the nerve of people and their opinions! haha It is the life that we live in. I have seen it and we all have been involved in it and most of us have learned from it as well. Of course after hours of wanting to pull our hair out and typing out long responses and then smartly deleting them before pressing send...you can truly waste your day worrying about it all.

 There is this saying that my dad John Queen would always remind me of when confronted with hurtful words from others:  "Jonna he would say, Everyone has arm pits you know, but what you have to remember is that most of them stink." Simple but wise.

Yes we all have arm pits and yes..without putting on our daily deodorant we do emit a stink that as a mom of boys knows all about...it can cause your nose hairs to fall out! As Christians we need to make sure we put on daily the layer of love that without...can cause us all to stink. Without the love of Jesus fresh in our lives there is NO way that we can navigate the slippery slope of evolving opinions and the daily slew of new social thoughts and whims. Sometimes it can feel like we are treading on broken egg shells hoping not to make a bigger mess than we already have!

Give everyone the benefit of a doubt and don't always think that everyone is out to get you. Sometimes with written words it can be hugely misconstrued. So before you delete that friend from your Facebook life....you really need to take every thought captive. This verse comes to mind that can truly help. It is found in 2 Corinthians 10:5 and it states: "casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. " We in a split second can decide to take every thought and every imagination into captivity. We can make a choice to ACT and not REACT to things that come our way.

So someone posted a stinky opinion on your Facebook post...it is just called life. You can choose on how to address it though . You can believe the best about others and agree to disagree. Your not going to be able to sway people's opinions and you have to be okay that other people believe differently than you do. We live in America where people are free to tell others just how they feel and about everything! So choose to respond in love and truly love others despite what they think and who they are going to vote for. haha. There are enough stinky arm pits out there without YOU joining them!

We are to be the sweet fragrance of Christ in whatever we say or do! So think before you post a comment...sometimes you truly just need to scroll on...

Adjust That Crown,

Jonna

Point A to Point B

 

The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. Proverbs 16:9

 

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Right? We all learned this concept in geometry in school. Unfortunately this principle we try to apply to our lives just doesn't have the same effect. I don't know about you but I love to  make lists and set up goals and map out how my week, month or year and how I think it should go. I wish I could say that I check them all off and I am on to the next thing. But what usually happens is that I just tear that page out of my journal and start another list. Haha. The problem is that my life just isn't linear! I never liked geometry anyway....

 

We just do not live in a 2-dimensional plane that adheres to these geometric laws. Life is really messy and we live in a world of all kinds of distractions such as lack of finances, health scares, sticky relationships,confusing social agendas, fears, injustices and just about anything you can think of can distract us!

 

So what happens when our straight line from point A to point B that we so carefully have planned and constructed all the sudden because crazily crooked? We usually get upset, frustrated, disappointed in ourselves and we wonder where God is in all of this! haha Okay...maybe this is just me.

 

What I do know is this...God's ways just aren't our ways and His timing just is no where close to my timing. So when I see my lines of my life start getting crazy I need to realize that things are truly out of my control....and that is exactly how I should live my life. He is the author of the plan for my life and as long as my faith and my trust is in HIM....I will be going EXACTLY where He wants me to go. So take that geometry! I have always been an algebra girl anyway.

 

Adjust That Crown of Yours!

 

Jonna

 

 

*Jewels

"Oh it is just a stray"....those were the very words I would use when people would come over to my house and ask me about the raggedy calico cat we named "Jewels" running up to me. Once she came up to me she didn't want to be touched or held; in fact she was so skiddish....she just wanted me to give her food and leave her alone.  I would dismiss her like she had no value; after all I owned a Himalayan cat named Fennick that I chose to purchase and take care of. Fennick I called as my own and would brag about. Jewels was just a cat that chose to live outside and beg for food.

Well today Jewels got ran over by a car. I could tell a few things about her that didn't look good. She wasn't moving her tail and her left hip was deformed looking. During our drive over to the vet Jewels would meow loudly and we would pet and soothe her. We noticed that when we stopped petting her that she would start meowing again. Now remember...she has never let us pet her before! The Vet came in and so did several techs who would talk to Jewels and would pet her and one even kissed her on the head! We were astounded at the way that she purred and wanted to cuddle and be petted. It made me cry. I cried because for years I never hardly touched this cat. This cat that probably wanted to be loved, petted and wanted attention. Here she was in so much pain and all she wanted was our love.

I have to say that all that evening after having to make the decision to put Jewels to sleep that I felt guilt. I felt guilty that I didn't take the time to love something that chose me. I didn't choose her but she chose me. How many times have people chosen to come up to us to talk or ask a question and we just gave them what we thought they wanted...only? What if they really wanted more? What if we were brushing them off like I brushed off Jewels?

God really spoke to my heart that every person, every situation and yes every animal matters. We are all His creation and WE ALL deserve the time, attention and the love that we all truly strive and hope for. Thankfully God never loves any of us less or more than the other. He doesn't look at us like the "unwanted stray" when we come to Him dirty, broken and without a place to go. He scoops us up and loves on us and puts all the missing pieces right back together. He reminds us that we all have a purpose in this life and none of us are unwanted. He CHOSE us and for that....I am happy.

Adjust That Crown

Jonna

*Sidetracked

I pulled into Sonic with my son, put my car in park and rolled down my window. I quickly retrieved my credit card and swiped it through the card reader. My son jerked me into reality when he said, "Mom. What are you doing?" I quickly realized that I hadn't even ordered yet but was scanning my card like Sonic is able to read our minds for that Strawberry Limeade that I so desperately wanted! Trey and I laughed and laughed about that...until we cried!

What I found myself doing that day at Sonic was that I was thinking about something I really needed to do that day, listening to my son Trey tell me a story and all the while worrying about an issue that hasn't been resolved and then of course thirsty for my favorite sweet drink that I couldn't wait to get my hands on. Now that is a LOT of things going through my head at one time. I wasn't really paying attention to any of it fully but all of them a little.

 It is really kinda scary how we start to go "through the motions" of life and we aren't really paying attention. There are a lot of people who walk into church Sunday after Sunday, looking all Christian but without Jesus. And they walk out the same way they came in, without Jesus, because they're only going through the motions. It's all too easy to do, sometimes without even realizing it.

Fixing our attention on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of the faith, who, in view of the joy set before him, endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.   Hebrews 12:2

We are wise to be aware about what we are thinking about – and what we shouldn’t be thinking about. Likewise, we have to be aware at what we are believing – and not believing. When our eyes are focused, we won’t miss out on what God has for us. In fact, the opposite happens – we see ourselves and our lives with amazing clarity. We can receive the goodness, the peace and the love that God has in store for us as believers because we are not sidetracked. We are focused but not worrying about what He is working out for us and that leaves us with loving our family, our community and being happy in the moment....just what we need to be doing.

You are Graciously Adorned


❤ Jonna

*Fruity Or Fruitful

I went to a nursery and was looking to buy some plants. I noticed a large sign that said "fruit trees" for $29. They were small and had green leaves and about 3 foot tall. I asked the worker about what kind of fruit they were and he said that he had no idea. I was astounded and said "What? You don't know?" He shook his head and said it could be a number of things and he actually said, "you will know in time." Haha Well as much as I wanted to buy one I decided to pass on the purchase that day.

I know many people who are fruity...they can be any number of things. They have a label but no one can tell what they are! This is why Christians in general get a bad rap. People get saved and they identify as "Christian" but they never bear any fruit that is Christ-like....I like to call them fruity.

Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.  Colossians 1:10

We cannot see into a human heart to know whether someone is saved or not but we can see what type attitude or character they portray. They may be acting "fruity" which is NOT a good example to what we stand for; sometimes having the character of Christ and sometimes not.

Living a Christ-filled life is full of introspection and making changes as we grow and learn that can be difficult or against what our flesh finds as desirable. So we will bear rotten fruit from time to time and that just comes with the territory. But we are connected to The Vine which is Christ and He is the life-giver so we have no reason to not produce something wonderful. As with any fruit tree; every year we grow we should get better and better. There should be no doubt who we are by what we are bearing!

You Are Graciously Adorned

Oh it seems to be going around and finally I am it's latest victim. I lay on the couch with my stomach rumbling and everything that I even smell or think about eating makes me want to hurl. It is a horrible thing to run to the restroom and not even sure why...it just feels like an emergency. The only way I can explain it is that my insides have turned into a washing machine and it just keep turning. I decided to just take advantage of not being able to go anywhere and I caught up on my Netflix movies.

Now I am kinda crazy about washing my hands and I use antibacterial after touching inanimate objects or shaking peoples hands. But no matter what we do and how hard we try...sometimes we just catch things. It is in the air and you happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Sometime heartaches and hard times come your way even if you are doing everything right. Take heart and know that you are not alone. It is life. Things will come you way whether you are expecting it or not. Just don't lose heart. You may not know all the "why's" or even the "how's" but you will make it through with God's help. It is through the hard times that character is built and that wisdom is gained. I know that my best lessons have been learned the "hard" way...I will definitely never do those things again and I warn everyone I can!

So I just keep doing what I have been doing and rest in the fact that Romans 8:28 says that "We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."  So what do I have to fear? I am choosing to use this time to read and get some much needed rest...who knows...maybe I will lose a couple of pounds in the process! haha

Adjust that Crown

❤ Jonna

*Stomach Bug

Oh it seems to be going around and finally I am it's latest victim. I lay on the couch with my stomach rumbling and everything that I even smell or think about eating makes me want to hurl. It is a horrible thing to run to the restroom and not even sure why...it just feels like an emergency. The only way I can explain it is that my insides have turned into a washing machine and it just keep turning. I decided to just take advantage of not being able to go anywhere and I caught up on my Netflix movies.

Now I am kinda crazy about washing my hands and I use antibacterial after touching inanimate objects or shaking peoples hands. But no matter what we do and how hard we try...sometimes we just catch things. It is in the air and you happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Sometime heartaches and hard times come your way even if you are doing everything right. Take heart and know that you are not alone. It is life. Things will come you way whether you are expecting it or not. Just don't lose heart. You may not know all the "why's" or even the "how's" but you will make it through with God's help. It is through the hard times that character is built and that wisdom is gained. I know that my best lessons have been learned the "hard" way...I will definitely never do those things again and I warn everyone I can!

So I just keep doing what I have been doing and rest in the fact that Romans 8:28 says that "We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."  So what do I have to fear? I am choosing to use this time to read and get some much needed rest...who knows...maybe I will lose a couple of pounds in the process! haha

Adjust that Crown

❤ Jonna

It is Just a Bruise

Have you ever had a big bruise come up on your body and you just couldn't think of where it came from? It is like it came out of no where! Minor injuries can creep up on us and leave us "black” and “blue” from time to time.

When we suffer a serious physical injury though, we call 911 or go straight to the ER. The wound will need to be cleansed and properly bandaged so that it’s protected, and sometimes need to have it checked regularly to make sure it’s healing properly. Even then, it may take some time to heal.

This is an illustration of how our spiritual wounds can heal with faith, prayer, and proper care. But if we don’t allow them to be cleansed and healed in the proper way, if we try to hide our wounds or don’t cooperate with those who can and want to help us, our wounds can become infected with bitterness and resentment that can spread and poison the whole body. If left untended, they can affect our spiritual life, our happiness, our faith, and our general well-being.

I remember that I just "wasn't feeling right" for months and just like any good nurse that tells everyone to go to the doctor...I just ignored it. I kept going to work and just dealt with it until one day an ER physician I worked with told me that I had yellow in my eyes. Unbelieving I quickly went to the nearest mirror and sure enough....when did that happen? Come to find out I had pancreatitis from gallstones! I couldn't  believe it! I was immediately put in the hospital and couldn't have surgery until my liver enzymes and everything else came close to normal levels! I was in the hospital for 8 days all because I ignored a problem that could have left me with permanent liver damage!

The Bible teaches that we should empty our hearts of things in the past or the present that bother us: “Let us search out and examine our ways” (Lamentations 3:40). “Watch out that no bitterness takes root among you, for as it springs up it causes deep trouble, hurting many in their spiritual lives” (Hebrews 12:15 TLB). Past circumstances do not have to dictate your present outlook, because God has made a way for you to overcome the negative in your life.

 

The Bible encourages us to seek help and support from those more mature in faith, and to confess our faults one to another and pray one for another (James 5:14,16). It is detrimental to our health and future well being if we hide or ignore the issue.  It is only once you’ve gotten the problem out in the open and received prayer and counsel based on God’s Word, you can much more easily forgive, forget, deal with the problem and find healing and move on.

The Christian life is all about overcoming obstacles, rising above our circumstances, and not letting things get us down. It’s about making stepping stones out of stumbling blocks. It’s about joining hands with each other and sharing our bruises and hurts so that we can encourage and lift each other up. That is what a family is all about...not perfect but a bunch of broken people that can testify of what God has done and is doing to put us all back together to be who He intended us to be.

Adjust That Crown!

Jonna

 

 

*CHOOSE

Decisions are like getting on a bus. I have gotten lost before and got on the wrong bus in a strange city. It looked right, it had a lot of people on it, it felt right but it got me to wrong place. I had good intentions, I wasn’t a bad person but I took the wrong bus. I learned that day that you can’t get to the right place by getting on the wrong bus. You cannot reach your destiny by making wrong decisions. You end up where your decisions take you, and often times that is not where you want to be. You can control where you end up and it is based on what decisions you make. Don’t CHOOSE the things that are easy, CHOOSE the things that get you to where you need to go.

“…I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore CHOOSE life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey His voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto Him: for He is thy life, and the length of thy days…”                  Deuteronomy 30:19b-20a.

If someone offends or hurts your feelings here is one way that you can deal with it:

• CHOOSE to tell people all about it.
• CHOOSE to join my sympathizers as they also begin to think less of my offender
• CHOOSE to join my now gang of sympathizers in speaking negatively about my offender.
• CHOOSE to join my sympathizers as I go in all-out victim mode in telling others about the offense; further spreading the negativity.
• CHOOSE to cause others to sin by creating division in relationships.
• CHOOSE to make myself and others upset and angry by re-hashing the details of the offense over and over and over again with no resolve.
• CHOOSE to directly, knowingly and willfully disobey God's Word by reacting according to the flesh rather than submitting to the spirit.
• CHOOSE to directly, knowingly and willfully assist and empower others to disobey God's Word as well.

If someone offends or hurts your feelings this is the real way you should deal with it:

• CHOOSE to go directly to God in prayer. This is using action instead of reaction.
• CHOOSE to listen while He gives me this better perspective called truth. My enemy is not of flesh and blood but of principalities and powers of darkness in high places. 
• CHOOSE to feel peace. The need to vent and tell others is gone! 
• CHOOSE to go to this person quickly if I have any lingering issues and go in humble submission wanting resolve and with a forgiving spirit.
• CHOOSE to honor God by valuing unity over the very temporary pleasure of gossiping and attention-getting.
• CHOOSE to give mercy and grace with the same abundance that God gives mercy and grace.
• CHOOSE to value my neighbor and love them as myself. I will guard my heart from any bitterness or resentment.
• CHOOSE to live by the standards set forth in the Bible as a way of life.

Additionally:

• CHOOSE to love.
• CHOOSE to speak life into my circumstances.
• CHOOSE to not wear my feelings on my sleeve and to let the little things go.
• CHOOSE to live my life with a forgiving heart.
• CHOOSE to be a light to others by how I live and by every word that comes out of my mouth.
• CHOOSE to have a mind of Christ.
• CHOOSE to live everyday equipped with the Armor of God
• CHOOSE to love people more than myself.
• CHOOSE to see the best in people and not the worst
• CHOOSE to see the positive in every situation
• CHOOSE the best life for me and my family
• CHOOSE to be happy and free
• CHOOSE to be open and honest
• CHOOSE to have the heart of God
• CHOOSE to live the way that God intended me to live. 

Your choices determine how your day goes, what situations you find yourself in, if you have a smile on your face or not and ultimately where you spend eternity. How will you CHOOSE?

Adjust that Crown 

Jonna

*You are Worth it!

"The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it." Matthew 13:45-46

Every time I hear this parable I think of  how a pearl is born. When a foreign speck of sand enters the environment of the shell the oyster builds up defensive layers to protect itself.  Layer upon layer of this coating, called 'nacre', is deposited until a lustrous pearl is formed. It can take anywhere from one year to 3 years for a pearl to be formed. The longer the pearl is in the oyster the more valuable it can be. It is amazing that something so expensive can be found in the rough and unsightly mollusk or oyster shell!

We are the pearl of great value. Just think about it. Jesus bore our sin and wrapped it all up in Him and layered us in His righteousness and that in itself makes us worthy and priceless! So when the scripture says, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant..." I like to think that we are so valuable to Him that He searches to and fro longing for the thing that He would give up everything for. God's very own son was given up for YOU and for ME so that we can be bought, purchased and our sins paid in full. Now that my friends is something of great value and you are WORTH IT!

You are Graciously Adorned

❤Jonna

*Afresh

There is nothing like the smell of coffee in the morning. Your up but your eyes aren't really open to
the world yet. You turn on the coffee pot and the sound and the smells just make you smile. It is a fresh smell of a new day that has all kinds of new possibilities.

Every day we start afresh with new mercies and new levels of grace. It is so awesome that nothing is "piled up" on us from yesterday. He makes all things new. He is so faithful and as Christians we have the promise of abundant love and resources that should make our eyes open up wide with expectancy.

We do though have the responsibility to keep our relationship with God and others fresh. So that we can truly live the life that God intended that is filled with all kinds of wonderful things. One of the ways you can ensure this is to make sure you start your days right in the Bible and talking to your Savior. You should also end your day meditating on what has happened and where God fit in. You also need to evaluate your interactions with people and your motives because that is the perfect opportunity to ask for forgiveness and give it to God. Then you can go to sleep with a smile because your heart is right with the World and most importantly with God. 

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.       Lamentations 3:22-23
  

Adjust That Crown

Jonna

*The Secret Sauce

Every good restaurant has some kind of secret ingredient that sets them apart from all the rest. It is in that unique taste or that special herb that will cause people coming back for more! I had bought a Copy Cat recipe book years ago that mimicked recipes from famous restaurants. I wish that I could say that when I cooked from it that it tasted just liked at the restaurant....it did not. The author of the book actually had not gotten the recipes but was trying to copy it and make it taste as close as he could to the real thing.

There is nothing like the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We can try to live without it but we will be missing out on so much and be left wanting and yearning for more. Jesus did not die on the cross just for us to go to Heaven and live forever more. He was making a way for us to live here on Earth and do it in a supernatural and victorious way. He wanted us to live filled with His presence and His power, just as He did...and He sent us the Holy Spirit to do just that.

In the Old Testament priests of the temple were consecrated; set apart for a higher purpose, by the pouring of oil. It was the anointing of oil that was poured all over them starting at their head and running down their clothes that consecrated them. (Lev 8:12). The presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives is just like the oil that was poured out over Aaron’s head in Leviticus, only we aren’t sanctified externally, we are changed internally. It is the higher calling of our relationship with God, from knowing about Him to knowing Him intimately.

When we have the Holy Spirit in our lives, we are actually filled with the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead. He is the power that changes everything. He is the blessing of God on our lives, making us holy before Him and He is the fragrant presence that sets us apart for His purposes.

The anointing from God is your secret sauce; it will bless your efforts and make them more than you could ever make them. If you have a heart sensitive to being led by God, that anointing will lead you to the steps you need to fulfill your destiny while here on this Earth. The only difference is this secret that we possess needs to be shared and slathered on everyone and every situation you encounter.

Adjust That Crown!

Jonna

*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