I am ready!

     I was walking in the park with my daughters and I asked if they wanted to walk around the other side of the park and across the bridge that went over the small pond. My 8 year old said, ”Not the big bridge, it scares me!” She then ran up to my side and said, “first I have to hold my momma’s hand and then I can”. She grabbed my hand and exclaimed, “I am ready now!”

     One of the many things being worked on in my life is the time I spend with God, especially in the morning. I had begun praying at the end of the day for God’s will and purpose in my life and his direction. Then I would wake up the next morning and I would start getting ready and move on with my day, never stopping to ask for the one thing I was praying for, His direction. I was convicted! I began praying in the mornings, first thing, and overtime this has grown into getting up a little earlier and even reading the bible. (This time change has thrown me off again on exactly how early I am getting up so I am back to working on that.)

     A scripture that I found one day as my very thoughts were all over the place and I was wondering why I felt so scatterbrained was Matthew 12:30:

“He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad."

     As my daughter grabbed my hand today, all of this came to the forefront. Like children that, with all of their trust, grab their parents hand for guidance and reassurance, we have to grab our Heavenly father’s hand. We have to gather with him first, and then we are ready!

    If you haven’t been doing so, I urge you to grow into meeting with God every morning. This is an intentional action that will become habit over time. Pray, read your bible, talk to Him, whatever it takes to face your day. You will know you are being changed when your heart begins to exclaim, “I am ready.”

A Grateful Believer in Jesus Christ,

Johnna

Relaxing through the process

When I was a young teenager, I was in and out of the hospital quite often. After about two years, they finally discovered it was my gallbladder. During those years, I endured many procedures. Some of those procedures are the kind that cause adults to be scared. I also had my blood drawn many times. I learned fairly quickly if I would relax and go with it, all would be over quickly and the pain was minimal. I knew if I fought the nurses or tensed up, I would be in more pain. If you have ever had a needle stick in your arm, you know the more tense you are or the more you move, the more likely there would be bruising, swelling, or even a vein would blow.

I am older now but I am always very cooperative at the doctor and I intentionally remain calm so that I can minimize any pain I might have. This was a practice I was able to use while giving birth to my children as well.

I feel emotionally chaotic quite often. I have a ton of things on my plate and I start trying to take control of it all instead of letting it come to me a step at a time. Today, I had planned to get up, make breakfast for my family, get dressed for church and off we would go. My husband ended up being quite sick and the two little ones were coughing. The crud has been going around and knowing we couldn't go to church and spread our germs, we decided we needed to stay home. As I walked in the little girls room, I was overwhelmed with the mess. There were playing cards and clothes from one end to another. I told them to clean and as I went to sit down and calm down, I realized how chaotic I had become. I was breathing and praying and trying to regain composure.

It dawned on me, I was fighting what was happening this day. It hasn't gone as I have planned but my plans shouldn't be what determine my peace. I realized and learned something I pray sticks in my heart. Just as I have learned to relax physically at the doctors office, I have to relax spiritually and emotionally. God is the healer over all of me and while there are "procedures" that He has to work in my life, if I will relax and let God do what He needs to do, the frustration and pain will be less. Fighting God
will make things way more difficult and painful. My will and my way is NOT best. I have to take my day as it comes and let the rest go. God is in control.

After I was able to stop fighting this day and I could reflect on what was going on, well I spent the next 30 minutes with this message on my heart before I gave in to sit down and share it. It's a message I am grateful and I hope it is a stepping stone in my journey so they I can feel less chaotic and I can grow with less pain.

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 straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord , and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. (Proverbs 3:5-8 ESV)

A Grateful Believer in Jesus Christ
~Johnna

Pushed through maturity...

When I said 2013 was the year for continued growth, I really just had no clue. I have been through spiritual warfare a lot. It is tough. It isn't a pretty process either. I had a breakthrough last night followed by relief and gratitude because frankly, this one has worn me out.

This evening I have been able to sit and study and write down some of what I have learned. I have a headache and I am super tired. I have been in prayer for the strength to get through the rest of this day.

One of my many lessons that came up was how sometimes we are not capable of understanding the why's of what has happened in our life. Just like my 4 year old can't comprehend an adult world, we can't comprehend God's logic.

As Christians, we don't get to run around like kids completely oblivious. We aren't getting off that easy. If God has called us, He wants us to grow and mature spiritually. God's ultimate priority is making us holy and God wants us to know him. God will let us be uncomfortable and will let us endure and He will let us be stretched but He won't stretch past our abilities.

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV)

So as I was sitting here, just having closed my bible, thinking I needed to update my blog and I am still tired and I am ready for easier times, my 4 year old runs up to me and asks me to spell play-doh. I laughed and smiled. I ask for easy and God gives me play-doh, and the strength and restoration and inspiration to update my blog.

For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. Your restoration is what we pray for. (2 Corinthians 13:9 ESV)

A Grateful Believer in Jesus Christ
~Johnna

Getting Unstuck

Last night's lesson in Celebrate Recovery was 7 reasons we get stuck. One of the reasons was laid on my heart pretty heavy. It was "afraid of the risk in making the necessary change".  Let me disect that a little. This blog is two fold, one for me to share and one for me to understand and learn. So let us process this together.

The first part, "you are afraid of the risk" This is probably an understatement for me. I haven't been one to really be fearful of much before but after some traumatic experiences over the last two years, there are lots of things that scare me. Risk means to me that there is no telling how any decision I might make will turn out. That kind of makes me afraid to even take part in any decision making process.

The second part, "making the necessary change." I am very well aware that we can't grow without change. Change is inevitable and a part of life. Change is what keeps us moving forward. Necessary is an important word in that phrase as well. Sometimes we can get really comfortable in our lives. I know that I find something that is working for me and I want to stay right there. Then I find something not working for me and for some reason, I still want to stay right there. There are changes that need to made, they ARE necessary. We have outgrown what was or wasn't working and we HAVE to change.

While there are a lot of ways that this reason for being stuck may apply to us, the bigger part is getting unstuck. We have to make the decision to make the change. Taking a leap of faith was once defined to me as the act of making a commitment and expecting success. Regardless of how we define failure, if we are in God's will, whatever happens is considered success. Things may not happen according to our plans or what we were expecting but we can be assured that God's plans are always going to be for the greater good.


Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Isaiah 41:10 KJV

We don't have to be afraid of necessary change. We can be assured we are not alone, we will be strengthened, we have help, and God will uphold us. To get unstuck, we just have to take that leap of faith. 

A Grateful Believer in Jesus Christ
~Johnna