April Fools Miss the Jewels

Here in Green Country, tulips, redbud trees, and life of all manner seem to be blooming everywhere!  The Jane Magnolia trees in the corner of my new home blaze radiant shades of pink.  Robins, cardinals, finches, and even a few early summer bugs have graced my new abode in droves already.  As I write, it is Sunday, the 31st of March - and tomorrow is "April Fools' Day."

If you're missing the springtime gallery of color, binoculars can help, and especially when atop a tripod.  The above 10X50 is actually a great option for stargazers for whom a telescope is impractical.  The point for this entry, however, is not missing the moment's radiant offering - in any time of day and all the options one might imagine.

"Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don't wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it's at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored." 
- Earl Nightingale, Accessed online at:  https://www.brainyquote.com 

Tomorrow begins April, 

and wouldn't it be foolish 

to fail to enjoy and savor every minute?

Jotting with Johnna
Are you waiting for something to line up "just right" before you allow yourself to enjoy life, as if your life will only "really" begin when those conditions are met?  What if you realized that the life you are "meant to live" began the day you breathed your first breath?  What if everything you've endured or enjoyed brought you to become the human you are now, with just what it takes to do that which you were born to do?  How might you approach the next hour if you saw it as your very precious, one and only earthly life?  We know that we will give an account for the ways in which we live our lives - the Bible says so; so what if today is the day all those deposits and withdrawals came into account?  Would you have squandered the capacity you had up until now?  Would you crave another opportunity to entertain butterflies, share the stars with your children, or show someone what Jesus means to you?  What will you do with this one day among thousands?

Remember:  you are so very worthy of a change in perspective that allows you to see the world as for you, to see those around you with love, to see yourself as one dearly loved, and to act in kind...

Stay tuned.  Stay focused.  Stay well.

Locate Yourself

In order to find your way to a destination, it's important to have perspective of where you are at the beginning of your journey.  Whether you're using a paper map, GPS instrument, or simply getting directions from another human, the way to get to a place depends upon your location in relation to that place.  Maps in shopping malls illustrate well how this works, as they have an arrow or other symbol that essentially conveys, "you are here," so you can determine the appropriate course.

When it comes to our wellness, the script we compose here is going to be unique to each scribe.  Part of that is because we are coming to the path from unique places, metaphorically speaking.  Fears, assumptions, behaviors, preferences, and idiosyncrasies around food are learned behaviors; the story of your learned behaviors is not the same as mine, or even of your siblings.  We all pick up different pieces and assimilate differently the experiences around food we accumulate in life.  So, in order to understand which directions work for each of us, we need to locate our food-history-self.  

The Future of Healing Conference by The Institute for the Psychology of Eating

Jotting with Johnna
What are your earliest memories regarding food?  With whom do these memories happen?  What words, sensations, emotions, and conclusions do you recall?  Was there punishment or reward involved?  What memories come to you between that earliest recollection and this moment that seem relevant?  How can you reconcile your past attitudes and actions around food, recognizing that humans do what makes sense to them in the moment, with grace and compassion for your younger self?  What might you do moving forward to forgive yourself for adopting behaviors that no longer serve your best interests, release the compulsion, shame, and guilt they bring, and determine your next chapter?

Remember:  you are so very worthy of the work of recollection in order to re-collect your power over the choices of today.  It can be scary and even shocking; but it can also be supportive of the path toward your best life spiritually, mentally, emotionally, physically, socially, and even financially.

Stay tuned.  Stay focused.  Stay well.

Content in the Contents

What fills your life, a container, a book, even a conversation might be referred to that thing's contents.  Whatever the content of your day, you can be content with it - yes, different emphasis on the same spelled word makes these seven-letters convey a whole different set of contents. 

Okay, so that is over...maybe.  Maybe not, because what we emphasize creates meaning in aspects of life other than language.

Contentment contingent upon one's belongings, accomplishments, or any other source of satisfaction will be fleeting at best.  True contentment is independent of our status or situation.  That's what makes it such a powerful gift when we grasp it - contentment is a choice to respond in ways that reflect our stance as believers, our identity as God's children, and our faith in God's sovereign and limitless ability to provide that which is best for us...at just the right time.  It's a grateful way of seeing the world with gentleness and humility.

Jotting with Johnna
Do you struggle with contentment?  What might that look like in your life?  Does pride play a role?  How will you pursue an attitude of contentedness today?

Remember:  you are so very worthy to have the contents of your spirit as healthful and helpful as the contents of your plate, your schedule, your home, your occupation, and - especially - the contents of your relationship with God.  Thoughtfully consider a content upgrade.

Stay tuned.  Stay focused.  Stay well.

Allowance & Inheritance

Image Credit:Chris Titze

al·low·ance

/əˈlouəns/

noun

• the amount of something that is permitted, especially within a set of regulations or for a specified purpose  
• a share or portion allotted or granted
• amount permitted, provided, and available

As a believer, I know I'm a coheir with Christ (Romans 8:16-17 and elsewhere in the Word), that God has promised a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11-13) and that as the Bride of Christ, I'm destined for Heaven's beauty and bounty.  It's beyond my comprehension; and yet, it's somehow easier for me to accept that truth than to allow myself to enjoy fully the abundant life Jesus desires for me (John 10:10) and paid an exceedingly high price (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) for that liberty and luxury of knowing Him intimately and sharing life with Him through the Holy Spirit.  

Why is it that my (right now, here on Earth) allowance as a daughter of the King harder for me to allow myself than the (promised and unseen, beyond imagining) inheritance I look forward to as a daughter of the King?  

We have an upper limit to accepting good in our lives based on our self-image, our personal history, and our perception of society's approval or lack thereof.  This theory is discussed in Gay Hendricks' book, The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level.  I've heard the notion hinted here and there; but it hit home this morning during some work I was doing in my home - the second home I've bought since my husband died, and yes, it took this long for application to my situation. 

It's been long known (since Freudian philosophy at least) that women tend to suffer guilt for faring better than their mothers.  Allowing myself to have my dream of writing and publishing, allowing myself to have a valid voice worth hearing, allowing myself to have a home that is luxurious compared to that of anything I'd ever experienced or seen family members enjoy - especially "just for me."  Hanging onto weight to ground oneself, self-destructive behaviors of any kind, even depression can be keys this form of guilt and/or Hendricks' upper limit problem.

Yes, I'm a daughter of paupers here on this planet.  Yes, I've lived in want and in plenty.  Yes, I'm generally content with my life in all aspects...but I'm not allowing myself to enjoy this abundant allowance as a daughter of the King whose Heavenly Father elected to bless in this life as well as the next.  Can you relate?

Jotting with Johnna

Are you sabotaging your wellness when life is good (or less bad)?  How does that show up for you, if so?  What can you do to take those thoughts captive and subject them to Christ instead of scoring points for the enemy whose aim is to "steal, kill, and destroy?"

Remember:  you are so very worthy of anything and everything and all God gives you, just as you are, right now - not because of you, because of Christ and His payment for your adoption into His family!  You and I have been ransomed and set free; but it is still our choice to live in liberty or in chains, squandering the allowance Jesus gives us daily.

Stay tuned.  Stay focused.  Stay well.

Erase or Escape

"To err is human..."  

Alexander Pope is said to have coined the phrase as part of his "Essay on Criticism," and it's been used in countless ways.  Mistakes are part of being human; and many of them can be remedied through erasers (like the jumbo eraser featured above), correction tape, or even correction fluid.  Sometimes, we can backspace, cut away, or draw lines through a mistake.  Most mistakes are harmless and can be easily pardoned.

Other mistakes, especially those repeated, are less quickly dismissed.  Much like a "cherished sin" (Psalm 66:18-19), wounds inflicted by those dear to us grow scar tissue as the heart seeks to protect itself from further lashings.  Proverbs 18:14 explains it well, "The human spirit can endure a sick body, but who can bear a crushed spirit? (NLT)"  The crushed spirit here, and in Psalm 34:18, refers to being contrite and sorrowful over one's sin; but it bears true for the broken-hearted whose spirits have been crushed under the weighty scrutiny and demands of cohorts.  "The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. (NLT)"  

We must be wise, as Jesus told His disciples as He commissioned them, “Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves. (Matthew 10:16, NLT)"  It is neither shrewd nor wise to knowingly be involved with someone who repeatedly inflicts wounds, especially when those wounds involve deep confidences.  That sort of companion instills fear as they intimidate and manipulate others; and the kind of perfected love the Bible describes "casts out fear," according to 1 John 4:18.  I've seen it up close, been the one in the kind of "torment" this verse mentions, anticipating the next episode of displeasure.  If you're in that situation, know that you do not have to endure cruelty from someone declaring his or her fondness of you.  It takes courage, and it's very scary; but you can make a safer path for yourself either by altering your participation in the cycle or by other means that don't involve harming yourself or others.  I was bullied as a young person, and I didn't have the power to excuse myself from the hostile environment back then; but I remember the feelings, and I can do so now.  So can you.

Jotting with Johnna

Do you feel safe?  Are you afraid of saying "the wrong thing" innocently and receiving punishment (in any form)?  Do you dwell on or fret about the reactions of your companion(s) as you might have dreaded contact with bullies in childhood?  What kind of correction instrument might you employ as you amend your interactions with controlling, codependent, or critical people whom you cannot avoid?

Remember:  you are so very worthy of the simple courtesy it takes to be in relationship with friends and family in such a way that you are able to be unafraid.  Fear is a tool of the enemy, whose goal it is to "steal, kill, and destroy;" but one of Jesus' expressed goals for His own is that we experience a full and satisfying life, according to John 10:10.  The enemy can only steal your joy if you let him.

Stay tuned.  Stay focused.  Stay well.

Roots and Fruits

Roots nourish and support plants so they are equipped to produce fruit.  What a plant is rooted into influences the fruit it produces, naturally.  Without adequate water, roots must dig deeper into the ground to access the source; but without adequate water drainage, roots will rot and the plant dies.  When a tree is watered too often, its root system will not be adequate to withstand heavy winds, ice, drought, and other factors that would threaten it.  The fruits of a well-nurtured plant are delightful.

The root system is fundamentally united with the soil.  To transplant a tree is a delicate process, as the tree goes through a time of shock at its roots being unearthed.  Most transplanted trees, when cared for wisely, are able to overcome this shock and eventually blossom. 

Production of fruit only comes once the plant itself is in a position of having enough life power to do the work of bearing.  The fruit of the Spirit is rooted in Truth, nurtured by continued contact with the Father as our foundation, watered by the Holy Spirit as we depend on Him to guide our growth, and it's all a grace gift at the expense of our Savior.  Without all the components, soil won't support a tree; and when we neglect our spiritual growth, we falter as the storms of life come.  Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5) comprise the fruit in us that makes us capable of being fruitful external of ourselves.

Not only do plants produce fruit "according to their kind," (Genesis 1), but also cleanse the air, convert sunlight into food, provide beauty and shade, and even grant shelter to great and small.  Look around you, wherever you are, and you'll likely see the signs - a desk made of wood, a bamboo cutting board, even coffee in your mug - all because a seed grew toward the ends of usefulness.

Jotting with Johnna
Are you grounded in your faith so that the winds don't break you?  What manner of fruit is growing in your life - is it time for pruning?  Can you witness and celebrate the fruit God has grown in you?  When we align ourselves with Jesus, we flourish, able to provide shelter, refreshment, and energy to those who are in need.  What small act could you do today to ensure others benefit from your growth?

Remember:  you are so very worthy of the environment and encouragement it takes you to manifest fruit that honors your roots in Christ.

Stay tuned.  Stay focused.  Stay well.

Outsoles...Sold Out

Gathering items to take into the church-house this morning, stepping away from my car, I lost my sole - to be specific, my shoe's outsole.  My mother, who was there beside me burst out in giggles as did I, not only because of the image of me, standing with a box of filled plastic Easter eggs, my purse, and my tablet with my shoe sole hanging by a thread, but because this wasn't the first time I'd lost my sole(s).

Nearly eight years ago, in Branson, Missouri, a pair of sandals committed sole mutiny going into, and then out of a comedy show, leaving chunks of outsole in my wake and unanimous giggles for our entire party.

I limped with my one sole in hand and the other still intact.  Upon crossing the threshold to the church-house, the other sole let go.  It was deja-vu.  The shoes were mule style, meaning that they essentially became slip-on houseshoes.

Quite giddy and bemused, mom and I managed our way to the pew we generally populate, and I had both soles in hand to show my delightful friend and share the story.  Some things are just too unreal until we tell a dear friend, you know.  This exquisitely witty friend enjoys wordplay as much as I do, and she's been working on The ALL Life, a sister site.  The inaugural post in her blog alludes to being "all-in."  Another way to give the same notion in different words might be "sold out."

Even though my outsoles ended up in the waste can, I'm sold out to the Lord.  All the support in a pair of shoes (especially mules) is in the outsole and footbed.  The stability of the sole makes a difference; and if the condition of that sole deteriorates, so does one's gait, speed, and ability to go very far.  Eventually, once the sole is trashed, everything beneath the sole of one's foot wears on a body - worn thin...  And a soul worn thin also is reactive to every pebble encountered in life.

Jotting with Johnna
What do you do when it seems like you're "coming unglued" in some part of life?  Where do you go to find restoration for your soul?  At the ready, do you have a few ways to get resoled when you are worn thin?  Whose counsel might you seek to nurture your soul?

Remember:  you are so very worthy of the support and maintenance your soul requires to be your best self and step out into the world, soles - and soul - intact.

Stay tuned.  Stay focused.  Stay well.

Wild Onions

I grew up in a remote-beyond-rural area, and on our five acres surrounded by farm fields, wild onions grew so thick I still remember their fresh aroma.  It's been decades since I was on that property - life has shifted so much that it is inhabited by other families now - but I found a few clusters of that familiar bulb in an unlikely place.  I live in a "garden home," located alongside a golf course.  I moved to this neighborhood in 2014 (a year after the death of my husband), and last November moved down the street to another garden home, adding my mother to my household.  Just this week, I discovered a few bunches, astonished they were growing there as they had elsewhere in my childhood.

I saved a few of the bulbs, cleaned them, and placed them in water to await their elevated future in a pottery to be determined soon.  Why would I do this with a wild crop?  Because I remember savoring them years ago - a sweet memory amid many unpleasant ones; and because I adore green onions in chopped salads.

I was actually inspired poetically....

Wild Onion Tears

Pulled as a weed,

Plucked as a treasure - 

One denotes vice.

One connotes pleasure.

Wild onions discovered

On my property,

A mem'ry of childhood

My senses to see.

Delightful discovery,

A voluntary crop.  

These soil-covered blessings

Gave me reason to stop.

Simple wild onions

My childhood revisit.

Though simple and common,

I find them exquisite.

In my hand, a pen

I gave my Dear Departed...

These wild onion tears,

Who knows what they've started?

Okay, I'm no poet laureate, but that's how much it moved me to see them, and then realizing the pen with which I composed the little rhyme - well, it wasn't the onions that brought tears.

I must tell you about something else I appreciate to the point of tears, although I don't know whether the little farm run by my brother and sister-in-arms has any wild onions on it.  Little t Farms is a local, organic, integrity-rich farm.  On it, you may hear various barnyard noises, the laughter of children, and some good sense.  Matt and Tamera both served with my late husband and myself in the same military unit.  They're good folks, to put it mildly.  Do yourself a favor and visit their website, especially when you need a gift basket or other treasure.  They're sure to please.

Jotting with Johnna
What has evoked memories through your senses unexpectedly?  Sight, sound, scent, taste, texture - we are sensory beings.  How might your senses influence your choices?  What application might this have for you as you plan your day?

Remember:  you are so very worthy of the forethought or at least attentiveness to include details that bring joy to your mind, healing to your body, and laughter to your present moment (even if it comes in the form of wild onion tears).

Stay tuned.  Stay focused.  Stay well.

Collections, Connections, & Corrections

People like to collect things - just about anything, actually.  For some, it's shoes.  For others, it's newspaper clippings.  Still others collect toys.  Years ago, I collected quite a few logo golf balls, and now they're part of my history.  These collections people have are most valuable to the collector much of the time, and usually the passion of the collector renders them relatively priceless.  Inherently, some collections are "worth a lot of money;" but it's likely that most collections have no real monetary value, and it's unlikely that amount is ever collected in exchange for the items anyway.

I have a collection of dear friends who are as vastly diverse as the prismatic shades of light.  We became friends at different points in different places and share different histories and experiences; but those priceless friends are beyond a collection.  When a friend is trusted and feels fully accepted, it is almost inevitable to experience correction.

Correction from a person whose love you know is genuine can provide a special kind of connection, if (and that's a big "if") we are humble enough to allow for it.  Proverbs (and elsewhere in the Scriptures) repeatedly admonishes us to listen to wise counsel, keep wise company, and not turn away from godly correction.  Pride would be the barrier in most cases to resistance of correction from a wise person; and it's something we all have without learning how to enact it (ever met a two-year-old).  Pride is the voice of "no," and "mine," and plenty of other selfish toddler shouts.

Jotting with Johnna
How do you respond when someone corrects you?  Do you have a collection of folks whose connection makes correction more acceptable and applicable?  Is a friend able to hold you accountable?  What steps can you take to be teachable in the face of correction?

Remember:  you are so very worthy of the purposeful growth that correction can bring you.

Stay tuned.  Stay focused.  Stay well.

Flip Your Script

Shame, guilt, self-condemnation, and critical self-dialogue accompany most of us in relation to food.  Without pointing fingers to parents, school, siblings, or other means of social development, it's still undeniable that our thought life surrounding self-nourishment is shaped by our young years.  The momentum of these patterns of feeding, fasting, failing, and feeling badly about ourselves only makes the negative spiral worse.  It's like a set of earbuds with a running playlist of punishment.

As a trained counselor and a woman with her own hangups with food, The Institute for the Psychology of Eating (IPE) Podcast and their programs appeal to me.  Transform Your Relationship With Food is an eight-week online program that addresses the difficult task of uprooting these mental weeds and de-tangling the web of bondage they place over our everyday nourishment.  IPE has researched and practiced what makes us "tick" in regard to our holistic (body, mind, and spirit) interaction with food, the way our inner world impacts digestion and cravings.  By asking open questions that get us thinking about the reasons we have the struggles we encounter.

It's Wellness Script writing 101, and I think it might be the most helpful tool I've seen so far in tailoring an approach to your own bio-individual and psycho-individual needs.

Jotting with Johnna
What are you hearing in those proverbial earbuds anyway?  Are you scolding yourself, shaming yourself, or "should"-ing yourself?  That cruelty will only keep you bound.  The first step:  determine what you truly want - what would it look like to get your wish granted?

Remember:  you are so very worthy of an upgrade; you co-created that playlist; and you can "record over it."  Flip the former script and write your own - one relevant to the person you are and are becoming!

Stay tuned.  Stay focused.  Stay well.

Do or Diet

Image courtesy of Shawn Mynar Holistic Health & used as a client of her 

Fat Burning Female Project (Beta Group).  I am not an affiliate of Shawn Mynar Holistic Health.

What are your first impressions when you hear the word, "diet?"  Do you cringe a little (I do) or think, yeah, I need one of those!  I like the acronym Shawn Mynar shared above (I'm a fan of wordplay in most forms).  Shawn Mynar is trained and experienced (and has her own personal experience) in helping women heal utilizing a customize-able, fat-fueling approach.  In my opinion, it's like Keto for Queens.  Through her program, many have come to find themselves better able to determine intuitively what the body needs without the hassles.  Her recipes are simple and elegant, her demeanor is sensitive and humble, and her approach is specifically targeted to women.

My friend and fellow writer has a website that takes a wild spin on the DIETside of this.  I don't know why I hadn't linked to her blog until now - distractions - but it's high time now.  The insights this kindred spirit offers result from decades of study, reading, trial & error.  Do yourself a favor and visit her page.  Don't let the intro scare ya - "sometimes it's really dark," but you have enough light to make your way to the other side (whatever that side is).  One thing you'll find her quite fond of are these "savor spoons."  There's a link on her page featuring them, and there's one in my purse at all times!

How else might we treat this four-letter word?  Here's my own acronym off the top of my head, and I'll add the rest of my friend's domain (www.DIETside.com) name as a bonus:

Delete old programming that no longer helps you.
Install new ways of dealing with feelings.
Engage with your world intentionally
Treat each moment as a new opportunity.
Seek others whose belief is congruent with yours.
Innovate strategies that work for you (write your own script).
Decide to embrace the miraculous mess you are
Enthusiastically nourish yourself in all ways.

That doesn't seem so dark to me.  Go visit the page and let me know how greatly you are amazed!

Jotting with Johnna

Do you sense that dietary dogma has kept you from living fully?  Are you aware that you can indeed find peace with yourself and with the food-fond-culture in which we live?  How might you re-define the concept of "diet" (no acronym required) to make it part of your own Wellness Script?

Remember:  you are so very worthy of a more positive definition of diet - which is simply the foods you eat and beverages you drink.  You have the power over that four-letter-word; but it's going to take some doing to make that shifted mindset stay.

Stay tuned.  Stay focused.  Stay well.

Midweek Tweak

(Image is property of Disney, of course, accessed on the web, used with gratitude.)

It's Wednesday again - time for a Midweek Tweak.  Portions are so large at most dining establishments in current times that sharing an entree is an accepted practice.  That wasn't the case "back in the day."  As such, sharing a restaurant portion doesn't guarantee a big difference in intake, because each plate has more than plenty - isn't it amazing (this problem of abundance)!

I nearly always split something with a friend whenever I eat away from home because of the scarcity mentality and shame of "wasting" something so many wish they could have.  Truth is, though, whether it's left behind on my plate, wrapped in a to-go container for later, or eaten with guilt and gluttony cheering me on...it's wasteful to ignore the signals of my body that indicate satiety.  Seriously, are the people who are in need for food going to profit at all from my consumption beyond hunger?  Obviously, they won't. 

If you haven't ever split a restaurant portion, I dare you to do so.  If you don't get enough for your satiety, then you can always get more to the table - first world problems.  You can also ask for the child size portion (often there is an up-charge when adults order this way, but it's worth the dollar).

Stay tuned.  Stay focused.  Stay well.

Your Secret is Showing

The Bible says that everything that's hidden will be made visible; and that what we do in "secret" is witnessed, made manifest.  We can look for just a couple minutes - taking an honest and humble inventory - and see plainly how things done in perceived privacy bring about public evidence.  Have you ever seen a "beer belly," "junk food pimples," or "smokers' teeth?"  No judgment here; we all have behavioral "warts" somewhere in our lives.

The life we lead will tell on us - for better or worse.  If we spend time in the sunshine - but not too much - we have a healthy glow.  If we prioritize fitness and movement, we are likely to be less winded than others during strenuous activity.  If we stretch regularly, we'll be able to bend, reach, and stoop without obvious difficulty.  Muscles develop and make themselves seen too.

I'm going to confess something:  I've had issues with eating - including binge eating - in "secret" or at least attempting to "hide the evidence."  There is a lot of shame and guilt attached to that, especially for someone like myself who grew up in relative scarcity mixed with incessant exposure to dietary restriction.  Even if it isn't done often, those sneaky-snacks show up and reveal what might have been hidden.  That confession is embarrassing and it hurt to put it out there - for a War Veteran with a master's degree in counseling, it's downright humiliating...but ScriptedWellness is about creating a wellness script that is authentic, live-able, and encompasses the whole of a person (warts and all).  If we are dishonest with ourselves, we will not have effective scripts.  We have to get bare before we can get bathed in the blessing of freedom.

Shame and guilt are shackles that keep us shuffling along in defeat.  They rob us of joy and rip any bits of self-acceptance to shreds.  They get in the way of relationship with others - and even disturb fellowship with God.  No wonder they're among the enemy's favorite tools.

Jotting with Johnna
Are you plagued with a behavior you wish would "go away?"  Have you felt successful as long as the behavior wasn't flaring up, only to feel crushed when you "fell off the wagon" in relapse?  What might happen if you shed the shame and got curious about it instead?  Could those repeating but unwanted behaviors have something to teach you?  In the past, can you imagine how they might have met a legitimate need (but in a faulty way), acting as a coping mechanism, emotional numbing agent, or some other escape?  Can you express gratitude to the errant behavior for its aid in the past, while also extending grace for the version of yourself that developed the habit, and then release the behavior (seeking professional help if necessary)?

We can't heal what we hate, because what we resist will persist.

Remember:  you are so very worthy, despite your difficulties, to find freedom from the things that hold you down - those strongholds apparently don't know yet that the One within you is "greater than" your enemy.

Stay tuned.  Stay focused.  Stay well.

It's Not Easy Bein' Green

Melancholy Kermit of The Muppets lamented that, "it's not easy bein' green."  It's not easy being a human now - with all the modern conveniences, the general consensus is that our populace is more stressed, weary, and depressed than ever.

Green is the backdrop color of Spring, the brightly verdant trees filled with songbirds.  Think of the winds of March bringing in change, blowing away leaves and leftovers from winter to make room for the sprouts that have been waiting, germinating, anticipating the sunshine.  Imagine the birds' arrival after a flight from southerly places to their summer homes.  Spring is hopeful, full of promise, and exciting.

We all have seasons in our lives that are less spring-like.  They seem to last far too long, and can even be overwhelming.  Know this:  seasons are meant to move past us, to make us better, to bring in a new thing.  I've survived many painful seasons; and my story wasn't over (although that of some loved ones was).  Grief, disappointment, frustration, PTSD, even major depression have visited my heart, threatening to destroy me; but I withstood the seasons (even though their weather still comes and goes).  Notice something in those last two sentences, please.  See it?  The bit of punctuation connecting the statements is a pause, a re-direct that shifts the topic but doesn't end the sentence or its sentiments.  It's a semicolon [ ; ] and it's become iconic for such sentences as those.

Your story is unfinished, still being penned; and your season is not final - decide differently than the suggestions of your situation.  The phrase, "you matter" is popular now.  I've used it since I can remember, and I'm glad to see it put to use in empowering, encouraging, affirming ways.  It's true!  You DO matter - no matter your lot in life, your circumstances, your accomplishments or perceived lack of them.  Any fault or failure, any frailty you may experience is NO matter; your significance isn't measured by man-made concepts or conclusions.  Psalm 139 says that you were carefully crafted in the womb of your mother (whether you knew her or not) by the Creator whose pleasure it is to call you His, made in His image according to Genesis 1:27.  THAT matters.

Jotting with Johnna
Are your life-keyboard-fingers poised over a period [ . ] where God believes you need a semicolon [ ; ]?  You still have breath and blood; your story is not over, and - believe me - you matter.  How might you decide differently than your current status would suggest?  What might your next step be in amending your attitudes, training your thoughts, or reviving your relationships involve?  To whom might you reach out to listen and love you through this season?

Remember:  you are so very worthy to punctuate your story in a way that gives you hope for wellness in every area of life - because it ALL matters to your Creator. 

Stay tuned.  Stay focused.  Stay well. 

Threesome

A stained glass image of Saint Patrick at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Port Clinton, Ohio. 

(Credit: ‘Nheyob’, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated this Sunday, and being primarily of British and Irish descent, I have been curious about this cleric.  Wikipedia may not be the most reliable source, but it'll do for our purposes today - speaking of threesomes.  Yes, you read the word correctly, but you may have misinterpreted - let me explain.

Four-leafed clovers are often worn in some manner during St. Patrick's Day, but in stained glass renderings (like the one at the beginning of this post) of the patron saint and in accounts of his influence, a shamrock - having three leaves - is seen instead.  Why?  Because he apparently used the image to illustrate the Holy Trinity - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  

The great mystery of the Triune Godhead can be difficult for our minds to process - one God in three manifestations.  As a youth, I heard several pastors illustrate the concept with an egg (shell, yolk, and egg white) among other word-pictures.  Honestly, we cannot fathom with any image the complexity and magnitude of the Trinity, even with the most clever of analogies.  I do, however, appreciate the shamrock, its equally-distributed leaves in verdant, life-affirming color.  It made these stickers all the more relevant to me - we are signed and sealed as believers, His imprint on our lives giving life in abundance and vibrancy...

We don't need to understand something to accept and affirm it.  Water can take several forms, yet its molecular composition is still H2O, its impact obvious in both tiny and terrific ways, and it never truly goes away - simply changes form and returns, nourishes, sustains life, and is quite often taken for granted although many are in desperate need of it.  Faith is a decision to trust and believe on a need-to-know basis.  God is the Omniscient (all-knowing), Omnipresent (in any place at any time in any way He elects), All-Powerful Master who is mysterious even as He is approachable through grace; He gives us knowledge and wisdom as we seek Him in faith.

I've had some fun with links for the sake of illustration, but it's a serious matter to deny self in our desire for constant confirmation, take up our cross to become the living sacrifices pleasing to God, and simply trust Him as we follow Christ - being Jesus' disciples as outlined by the Savior Himself (and with a bit of liberty on my part in this purpose-paraphrase) in Luke 9:23. 

Jotting with Johnna

How might faith play a role in your overall health?  What might trusting in Him Who Knows All help you have serenity and peace, deeper sleep, and a more appropriate relationship toward food?  Jesus is called Emmanuel, which means God With Us, and He sent the Holy Spirit as our Helper, all because of the love of the Father who was willing to do everything it took to make us His through adoption; how might the concept of the Trinity considering you significant and valuable change the way you go about your day?

Remember:  you are so very worthy to rest in the assurance that God is who His Word declares Him to be, even though that takes faith.  Without faith, it is impossible to please Him, according to Hebrews 11.  Trust Him with all you are (and wear plenty of green on Sunday).

Stay tuned.  Stay focused.  Stay well.

Perspective

"Perspective" is a word that has crossed my sight-path a half dozen times this morning, so it seems only fitting to ponder it here.  The photo above was taken on 21 January 2009, as I prepared for my incentive ride in the rear seat of A2167, the D-model F-16 assigned to my unit.  The ejection seats canopy, and other egress components I maintained during my military career giving me unique perspective.  In mere moments, that perspective shifted as we lifted vertically to 16,000 feet on a beautifully clear day, scarcely a cloud in sight.

The ride was beyond description, even for me.  I took my camera along and even took some video clips as we did countless maneuvers, several 9-G turns, and broke the sound barrier, going MACH 1.3.  The perspective in that seat, a godly pilot in the front, with a working knowledge of the systems involved in every bank and dive (my late husband was an avionics flightline technician) allowed me to savor the experience in awesome ways.

My camera's battery expired during the ride, before we flew over the USS Arizona Memorial.  It was surreal to say the least.  I had been to the Memorial for the first time in 2002, taken some airmen with me to visit it again during that TDY in 2009 having served two combat rotations with our unit, and that day, a battle-seasoned Veteran, my perspective was awe, reverence, and something akin to visiting the burial site of a cherished family member.  I was fully present in that moment, knowing this would be my one and only opportunity to witness that special place from such a perspective.

Another word that has popped up lately in various milieu and media is Enneagram, a paradigm of personality typing.  I own a few books on the topic, and I've been curious, but I hadn't taken the assessment until today.  The resulting number category isn't likely to come as a surprise to anyone who knows me:  2, the Supportive Advocate.  My perspective is one of seeking to assist others, often to my own peril.

As an Egress Specialist, one of the things I did at least monthly was to teach airmen how to safely enter and exit the cockpit, how to ensure the system was safed (pinned with streamers), and how to utilize the functions of the seat (adjustment of their positioning up or down the rails to gain greater perspective for their own maintenance specialties), and the potential and present dangers involved.  We always hope the pilot will finish assignment and return to the flightline as planned; but sometimes that doesn't happen - life is like that, and pilots have to know when the only course of action is to eject.  I need to learn to eject safely when the situation calls for it, rather than rushing in a nosedive to rescue others I perceive to need my help in my Enneagram "2" way.

Jotting with Johnna
How might a change in perspective help you make wise choices?

Remember:  you are so very worthy of the work it takes to understand your unique perspective and what alterations are necessary in order to thrive in all aspects of your life.  Ejecting is painful and comes at great price; but it is sometimes the only way to survive and move forward.

Stay tuned.  Stay focused.  Stay well.

Face Value

The world has an endless variety of coins.  Their function, style, composition of metals, and face value varies from game tokens made of scrap to gold coins and copper pennies (and there are even chocolate coins).  I have battle coins from deployments, award coins for accomplishments, and coins I've been given by those with authority over me during my military career - even one from the Secretary of the Air Force I received in Iraq in 2008. 

Many coins in history have been mistaken for others - the Susan B. Anthony dollar is roughly the same proportions as the standard quarter, its weight and etchings around the edges nearly identical.  These unique dollars have been undervalued by mistake, taken at only 25% of their actual face value.

Other times, coins have been assumed to be something they are not - like the coins I have from other countries being spent and received as dimes by those not paying attention.  Each has its value, ascribed or inherent, but is often passed along unawares.

People can be like these coins too - uniquely crafted in the Mint of Heaven by the very hand of God, yet dropped, lost, and undervalued or seen as not worth much comparatively.  How many pennies have I picked up over the years because others thought them insignificant?  I don't know, of course.  There have been times during a half-hour walk I've picked up more than twenty cents without even trying.  Folks with metal detectors must find so much more - because they're seeking and they're equipped for the task of finding...some are even coin collectors.

Jotting with Johnna
Coining a phrase is a meaning-making creation.  The Creator has coined our souls in ways only He can; and He gives us value when our identity is in Christ.  We've likely all felt undervalued or insignificant - it's part of being human - but God is a collector, and He prizes us.  How might you see yourself differently, behave differently, speak differently if you realized your true value?

Remember:  you are so worthy of acceptance, of being useful, of pursuing the best in yourself so you can reveal our God - whose face value is infinite - to those who behold your life.  Everyone profits when you learn your value and live accordingly.

Stay tuned.  Stay focused.  Stay well.

Midweek Tweak

Nobody wants to wear a "dunce cap."  I doubt they're used any longer in school - the humiliation and isolation involved in this practice would not meet the approval of current culture.  As a counselor, and a person who's never actually donned a dunce cap, I can only imagine the damage...

So why do we voluntarily do this to ourselves?  We fill our minds with negative self dialogue, fill our conversations with words of self-disdain and defeat, fill our very prayers with shame and guilt rather than gratitude for the mercy and grace we will find in the moment of repentance.  Do you feel the rim of that dunce cap now?  I have.

Thing is, Romans 8 tells us that there's no longer condemnation for those who are in Christ.  None.

Romans 8 also tells us that nothing can separate believers from the love of God.  Nothing.

Midweek Tweak
When you find yourself in a moment of dunce cap thinking, speaking, or acting, rise up out of that corner!  Replace that cap with a garland of truth, the helmet of salvation, and remind yourself Whose you are.  No matter what has you "dunce'd," denounce it.  No matter what lies the enemy is telling you, fight with faith, attack with truth, and then dismiss with authority the accuser's claim to your attention.  Nobody wants to wear the dunce cap; and Jesus paid the penalty so you won't.

Umbrellas

I used to think that umbrellas were more trouble than they're worth.  Then I started playing golf.  There's a kind of umbrella that's over-sized, shareable, and actually doesn't seem like useless baggage:  golf umbrellas!

Today is a golf umbrella day.  This morning, I was grateful I had worn my rain-wicking jacket...until I got into my car and all the wick'd rain came pouring into my lap.  Yep, it wet my pants.  That's never happened with a golf umbrella.  It matters what's hanging over your head (or not).

Thanks to grace, I have far less "hanging over my head."  Thanks to grace, I have covering.  Thanks to grace, I can weather any storm whether or not I feel prepared.  It's like a grace umbrella, shielding me so I can move forward and become all I'm meant to be.

Sometimes, however, guilt, shame, and fear come in a deluge...and I move through life with something like a wet blanket over my head.  It's heavy and it keeps me from seeing properly and from progressing in wholeness.  When we hang these things over the heads of our loved ones, it's devastating.

Jotting with Johnna
What are you carrying, allowing it to quench your joy?  What can you do to reconnect with the Psalm 51 joy?  Do you have flood zones in your mind and heart that need cleaned by grace?

Remember:  you are so very worthy to shed the weight of guilt, shame, and fear because Jesus has given you grace, healing, and peace.  Find your umbrella.

Stay tuned.  Stay focused.  Stay well.

Egg Scramble

Easter is just weeks away, and our church puts on an event for children that weekend complete with an egg hunt.  I picked up a box of three hundred plastic eggs (in mixed states of disrepair) that have been utilized over the years, recycled and refilled.  Then I picked up several bags of non-chocolate, non-melty, non-nutty, pre-wrapped candies I imagined would fit in the multicolored egg-shaped vessels.

Some of the candies indeed fit well in the wee eggs, others fit poorly - as in, didn't allow the egg parts to meet...so the taping began.  It wasn't just the ones containing the ill-proportioned candy wrappers that required some adhesive assistance, however.  Even those that looked fitting for their counterparts didn't tend to remain sealed without aid.  Next year, I'm buying the church some new plastic eggs, like these: 

At 3.5 inches, they'll be ample room for filling - minus the necessity of tape.  

Sometimes, we struggle to fit things into our lives that, honestly, we'd be better re-thinking.  We shove things into our schedules, agree to things we aren't truly called to do, and allow ourselves to be guilt-ed (bullied) into things that rob us of joy.  We're like taped-together plastic eggs, stuffed beyond sealing, just a precarious film tethering our ends.  No wonder we are less effective, less present, less content with our lives - we're unable to function as we were designed.

Jotting with Johnna
What areas of your egg-crate (metaphor for life categories) need an upgrade?  What parts are you barely holding together, making them all the more fragile?  Where do you need to release some mismatched parts so you can live more fully?

Remember:  you are so very worthy of working parts in your social, spiritual, and scheduled life categories so you can have greater health in your whole life.  Life can be a scramble sometimes for anyone, but you can work to mend the eggs in your basket.

Stay tuned.  Stay focused.  Stay well.

Light & Vision

We squint.  Bright light that appears suddenly when we have been in relatively darker surroundings elicits a response of squinting, shielding our eyes.  It's not something we learn to do - it's innate.  We also squint when we strain to decipher something or read small print (more often as we age), or to see something in the dark.  We all do it, and humans throughout time have done it.

Back-lit screens have become a relatively recent part of daily life for most - for anyone reading this on a "device."  Blue light filters, lenses, and settings on computers, smartphones, tablets, e-readers have addressed the problematic light and its results.  Blue light isn't something our eyes should be exposed to after sunset - it is one source of sleep disorder and headaches. 

Glasses like those linked above can help filter some of the blue light for us, which is a beginning; but the lights in our homes now cause much of the same difficulty for our eyes/brain.  Believe it or not, the impact artificial lighting has on our bodies includes fat storage, hormone dis-regulation, even depression and anxiety.  It's so well-known that I have no need to cite studies - a simple search of the web reveals the evidence - just, please, look it up during daylight (wink).

So, what is a person in our culture concerned about wellness to do?  It begins at home:  dim the lighting in your home at dusk.  Open blinds and pull drapes away from windows in the daylight hours so that natural light is able to penetrate your office, home, etc.  Make it a policy to end your encounters with back-lit screens at least an hour before bedtime.  Get rest for your eyes when you must be on the computer for long periods of time - and while you're at it, move around and stretch.

Jotting with Johnna
Have you considered how much time you spend looking at screens (television, computer, smartphone, tablet, e-reader, etc.)?  What might you do with the time if you cut that by ten percent?  Of an hour, that's just six minutes, but it's an opportunity to engage in something that would build up your body, mind, soul, spirit, relationships...  In six minutes, how many sun salutations could you do?  In six minutes, how many pushups, situps, triceps dips, squats, or laps around the house could you do?  In six minutes, how connected could you become with others in your household - including pets - by focused interaction?

Remember:  you are so very worthy of the intentional alteration it takes to engineer an environment that promotes health and wellbeing.  You know your lighting is important to your overall wellness; and your focus could make all the difference.

Stay tuned.  Stay focused.  Stay well.