*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

*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

Acknowledge Him

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight."     Proverbs 3:5-6

Leaning on our own understanding is comparable to walking with a cane, and putting most of our weight on it. If the cane lands on uneven ground or it lands at an awkward angle then we can stumble. If it lands on unstable ground such as stones or water then we can fall. The cane doesn’t know which way is safe and which way is dangerous. It just goes where we put it and it can only provide stability to the degree that we have chosen solid footing for it.

According to Strong’s Concordance, the word “acknowledge” in Proverbs 3:6 includes compre­hending, considering, being diligent, instruction, being aware, having respect, understanding, being acquainted with, and being related to. It involves the kind of understanding that comes from personal relationship, in addition to the kind of understanding that comes from diligently paying attention to  instruction. When we have a close personal relationship with the Lord, and pay close attention to what He tells us and shows us, then He will direct our paths.

I don't know anyone who wants to live their life on a "crooked" path...that sounds hard and possibly scary. So the Word says that if we do these two things and then do not do this one thing then He will make our paths straight:

1. Trust in the Lord
2. Lean NOT in your own understanding
3. Acknowledge Him in All your ways

Acknowledgement is the key here to the promise to this scripture. If we would just consider, comprehend, be diligent, aware, have respect and understand who GOD is in our lives and how that He wants to be involved in EVERY aspect.  Then when the time comes to make a decision we will FIRST consult Him instead of thinking of Him as a last panicky resort. Acknowledge the fact that we have a loving, forgiving and wonderful Father that just longs to have relationship with you and help you in this journey of life. If and when we get that right...well...our paths will go straight to the destiny and purpose that God designed just for us! Acknowledge Him! Acknowledge Him!

Adjust That Crown

Jonna

2016

Ahhhh the New Year Resolutions. Every year I make them and about 75% of them I do not carry through. Being aware of needing to grow and learn is a great thing and if you have no aspirations to be different...well then more power to you.

As the years start to fly by though I am made so much more aware of not wasting my days. That feeling of wanting to make a difference surfaces with much more vigor than it did when I was in my 20's or 30's. The fleeting thought of being close to 50 kinda slaps you in the face. Then you start to look at  your life, your attitude, your spirit and you evaluate.

My evaluation came up with this poster that seems to sum it up pretty nicely. I have things I want to accomplish in my life and I am going to do it! I am motivated, excited and have some tenacity to get them done. So as I reflect back on 2015; I can see the failures and the short comings but I can also see the things that I did right. I want my "right" list to be a little longer than my "wrong" list!

I do believe that this new year is going to see a new me...the "me" that God wants. I am not going to shy away from responsibility or opportunity; I am going to take it head on. I want to be fierce in that I take on things with confidence and I will NOT let the words of others...or even my own insecurities cause me to back down into a hole of defeat.

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

Adjust That Crown

Jonna

*Auld Lang Syne

Here is the proverbial answer to the question: "What on earth does "Auld Lang Syne" mean?" Written by a Scottish man Robert Burns; the confusion over the song is really funny because most people think it is about forgetting old friendships from the past and making new ones in the New Year because that is the only part of the song that most people know. The title of this Scottish tune translates to "Times Gone By" and is actually about remembering friends from the past and not letting them be forgotten.

I know because I have been at those parties where everyone sings loudly...."Let old acquaintances be forgot and never brought to mind"...and everyone cheers because EVERYONE knows someone that they want to forget about in the new year. We can all think of a person that has been hateful, rude or mean to us in 2015. I have a few I am thinking about right now! haha.

As painful as people and bad relationships can be; we don't want to "forget" anyone. We learn from those mistakes and we learn from the ugly as well as the beautiful. By forgetting them we only bury what we haven't dealt with yet in our own hearts...unforgiveness.

So as you ring in the New Year of 2016 and you most likely will be singing this song...remember your friends and acquaintances and decide for yourself to let go of the bitterness, hurt and resentment that might be attached to your heart. People will always be in your life and sometimes you do not have control over that; but what you have in your heart...well that is totally under your control. So sing it loud and sing it proud that you will NOT bring any unforgiveness into 2016 no matter what!

"So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it."  Colossians 3:13-14

Adjust That Crown

Jonna

Repeat The Sounding Joy

The plum pudding is gone, presents unwrapped, the tree is now barren and the Christmas music is no longer playing. The holiday joy and wishes of peace on earth are slowly fading away. The "most wonderful time of the year" is going, going and now gone. 

So what is to happen to the "Joy to the World" that we sang relentlessly about since Thanksgiving? Because it feels awfully depressing to take down all this festive stuff and just go back to normal! I want to keep my stuff up all year long! haha One part of the song where it says "repeat the sounding joy" has always gotten my attention. I think back to the shepherds that the Angels appeared to as they proclaimed the birth of Jesus. They spoke of a great joy that was for all people and that they would find the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in the manger. Can you imagine the excitement when the shepherds finally caught up to Jesus and found Him just as the Angels had said! I am sure there was some major joy involved! In fact I am sure they repeated what was told to them to everyone they met!
 

Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

 

Their joy was resounding...definition according to Webster's... producing a loud, deep sound that lasts for a long time, leaving no doubt, very definite. 

So even as all the festivities are fading away; our JOY should still remain. In fact it should never leave us and should be a deep, definite and loud sound that we carry and spread everywhere we go. Joy to the World, our Savior reigns!

Adjust That Crown

Jonna

*Jesus VS Santa

 

Santa lives at the North Pole...     JESUS is everywhere.
Santa rides in a sleigh...
     JESUS rides on the wind and walks on the water.

Santa comes but once a year...
     JESUS is an ever present help.

Santa fills your stockings with goodies...
     JESUS supplies all your needs.

Santa comes down your chimney uninvited...
     JESUS stands at your door and knocks, and then enters your heart when invited.

You have to wait in line to see Santa...
     JESUS is as close as the mention of His name.

Santa lets you sit on his lap...
     JESUS lets you rest in His arms.

Santa doesn't know your name, all he can say is "Hi little boy or girl, what's your name?"...
     JESUS knew our name before we were born.  Not only does He know our name, He knows our address too. He knows our history and future and He even knows how many hairs are on our heads.

Santa has a belly like a bowl full of jelly...
     JESUS has a heart full of love

All Santa can offer is HO HO HO...
    JESUS offers health, help and hope.

Santa says "You better not cry"...
     JESUS says "Cast all your cares on me for I care for you."

Santa's little helpers make toys...
    JESUS makes new life, mends wounded hearts, repairs broken homes and builds mansions.

Santa may make you chuckle but...
    JESUS gives you joy that is your strength.

While Santa puts gifts under your tree...
     JESUS became our gift and died on a tree...the cross.

-Author unknown

 

We need to put Christ back in CHRISTmas, Jesus is still the reason for the season.

 

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life"  John 3:16

 

Adjust That Crown,

 

Jonna

Hallmark Christmas

I love this time of the year because you can watch Christmas movies literally 24 hours a day! Between Hallmark, and ABC Family you are set up for lots of evenings on the couch with a cozy blanket and hot chocolate! I so love to turn out the lights expect for the Christmas tree and just enjoy transporting myself to another world. No season is complete without watching, A Christmas Carol, Elf and Christmas Vacation.

The funny thing is in all the Hallmark shows and as well as my favorite movies...there is always a sweet person that is just loving the season and a grumpy person that seems to fight with the other. We love to watch the scrooge make a turn around and come on over to the Christmas loving side. It is why that these movies are so wonderful. They all have amazing and miraculous endings that leaves you with a possible teary eye and of course an all around great feeling about this time of the year.

Now my family is no perfect unit and they sometimes resemble the beginnings of some of these movies and shows....actually it is more like the Lifetime movies. Haha. Hallmark usually doesn't have death and betrayal in them like Lifetime does; but they do have hard situations which are always resolved in the end; not to mention it is ALWAYS a white Christmas! Sometimes I wish and wonder what it would be like to finally have some of my hard family issues finally over with. The movies sometimes make me feel wanting more and wishing I could do more to make it all better.

It is okay to transport yourself to a "fairy tale" world sometimes but when we have those same expectations for our own friends, life and relationships...well...it can leave us disappointed. 

Some of our dysfunction will never be resolved on this side of heaven.  But if we let Faith, Hope and Love rule in our hearts this season; you might just be the one to make someone's holiday a little less like a Lifetime drama and more like a Hallmark ending. It could happen!

Adjust That Crown!

Jonna