Own your Zone

I recently went to a woman's conference at our church and the speaker was someone I had never heard before. Her name was Charlotte Gambill. She gave one of the most powerful messages I had heard in a long time, speaking to women about being aware of the "clothes" they are putting on each day.  Not fabric clothing, but rather your attitude and emotions. It was extremely powerful to hear about how I have the power and ability to decide each day how I will act towards myself, my children, my husband and even God. When you step back and think about it, it is quite liberating and intimidating at the same time to think that my attitude and perspective can make such a difference in my family. It is so true. When I am in a bad mood, whether just tired or kinda down, it greatly affects my entire family and the direction of our day. When I choose to put on the right attitude and clothe myself in patience, love, kind words, generosity, and grace I have the power to transform not just my own path, but the path of those around me.  She also spoke about our closets...what are we allowing to be hung in our spiritual and emotional closets. I think about how often Bre loves to go sorting through my clothing and shoes trying stuff on and playing dress up. She can spend hours playing in my closet. She loves to try on my high heels, my jewelry, my dresses and just transform her little self. I have to consider that she also sees and takes notes of what I have in my closet when it comes to my attitudes, my beliefs, my thoughts about myself and my body...all those things are in my closet and my children see and sometimes even go in and "take inventory" if you will.  We were challenged to really make sure that the things we are hanging up are worthy of shelf space. Are those thoughts/attitudes something I want my children to try on? Lots of times the answer is no...so I need to get rid of them...forbid them from taking up room in my closet.  I was totally inspired to make sure the things I do and say on a daily basis line up with what I want my children to be wearing out...because they are looking to me for direction as to what is "fashion worthy".

I loved her message so much that I viewed some other conferences she had spoken at and I found her to have tons of other inspiring messages . She spoke at a teen revival and usually I would think I wouldn't be able to relate to any of the content, but I was totally rocked by her words. She spoke on taking ownership of your life and your "zone". The fitting title was "Own your Zone".  This little motto got into my head and I have been proclaiming the goodness of its power.  She spoke about how we tend to go about life in a kinda passive, timid way...using the phrases "it is what it is" or "that's just where we are at" as our way of tackling life's issues and problems. She instead insisted that we get fierce...get involved and get serious about where we are in our own particular life or walk. For instance, when our child gets sick, instead of just saying, "Lord, please heal my child...touch her body" we need to remind ourselves that these children were a gift from God and the devil will NOT have a place in our home. Instead our prayer should be one of power and declaration against the devil, more like, "devil, I will not allow you to enter my home, by the power of the Holy Spirit I command you to leave and forbid you from stealing health from my family. In the name of JESUS, I am telling you to get out!!" She talks about taking ownership of our children, our homes, our families and speaking boldly against the devil and his attacks on our physical and emotional states. She encouraged us to pray with a fierceness that would speak with authority and really proclaim the power that we have in Christ.  I love the picture of standing at my door with a sword and slaying any opponent or opposition that is trying to get in my house. ..get to my children's thoughts or behaviors, get to my husband or our relationship. I won't allow it.  I think we need to begin to see where we are in life as our mission, our warzone, if you will and begin to claim the power of the Holy Spirit over those around us.  God has us in specific seasons and He equips us with the power to make the most of where we are and not just "get by" or "make it"...but rather be over-comers and conquers in our current situations.

As I walk this road of being a wife and mothering two little ones and planting seeds of faith and hope in them, I find these encouraging words to be fuel for me. These words of wisdom encourage and empower me to face each day with boldness and awareness of what is going on in the lives of those in my "Zone".  So let's begin to clean out our closets, toss out the junk and begin to own our zones!