Always in a Hurry!

It started about 5am twenty-seven years ago.
A few contractions, the mucus plug, and then I knew.
Today would be the day.
Almost a month early, but today, never the less.
But, wait, I wasn't ready.
So, I got up, did all the laundry.
Then I went shopping for the things I still needed.
Took my 2 year old to the sitter, and I was almost ready.
My husband, who was a paramedic student at the time, stopped by his office at the ambulance company to let them know what was going on.
After convincing all the medics there I REALLY did not want them to deliver the baby, off to the hospital we went.
6pm. Contractions continued.
I went to the hospital before most people would because, I had my first baby, who was almost 10lbs in less than 2 hours and I did not want to deliver at home!
6:30pm, Nurse: "It is going to be awhile, I think I am going to send you out, go have dinner, go shopping, and come back later tonight."
Me and Hubby (In unison): "This baby will be born on the street!"
7pm Nurse: " I will let you stay for an hour and then I will insist that you go."
7:45pm Me: "Go get the nurse! I have to push!"
7:55pm  Nurse gloving up, (she did not think the doctor needed to be call yet): " Don't push! Don't push! The doctor isn't here yet!"
8pm (as the dr is walking into the room) Me: "I am pushing NOW!"
8:05pm William Ray Johnson was born.
My second son.
The doctor held him up and looked at him and promptly said,"The plumbing works!" As he went to change his scrubs that were just peed on!
Twenty-seven years.
They go by fast. Really fast.
Now that same little, red, born early boy, still amazes his mom.

Grown up, with a family of his own, making me proud everyday.
A preacher, teacher, lover of people, and passionate about the Kingdom of God.
He was in a hurry to born, and today, he is in a hurry to get people connected to Jesus.
I love you Billy.
Everyday you look less like me,
and more like Jesus!

Chasing After Their Hearts,
Glenda Johnson

Having And Being A Mother-In-Law

April 1, 1983. Yes, April Fools Day. I became a wife. It was wonderful!
I also became a Daughter-in-law.  Which means I also acquired a Mother-In-Law.

(No, that IS NOT my mother-in-law!) ;)

And a very interesting journey began.

May 29,2004. My son got married. It was....difficult.
I became a mother-in-law. I acquired a daughter-in-law.
My journey took on a whole new meaning.

(No, this is NOT myself and my daughter-in-law) ;)

 This is an invitation to contribute to a book that I am writing. It is all about..that difficult subject....

MOTHER-IN-LAWS!!!

I have a mother-in-law. I love her dearly.

I am a mother-in-law. I love my daughter-in-law dearly.

I would be a liar if I said that both of the those relationships did not go through some rough spots. There have been easy times, and some times that have been a little more challenging.

I have observed in my walk through this life that this tends to be one of the most difficult relationships for women.

My book is a journey through this process of two women sharing a man and how to hopefully make this a more joyful trip.

" I Just told your Mother I welcomed her advice!"

I find humor and tears as I walk this path. I also find true joy!

So here is what I need from you. Below are a couple of questions. Please answer them. I assure you it can be done totally anonymously. I will not quote any names.  You can respond either by copying and answering the questions in the comment section (not anonymous) or by copying the questions and putting them into an e-mail with the answers. (Totally anonymous, pinky swear!)

Most all ladies that are married have a M-I-L . Some of you are one.  Give me your insight. Share your struggles and share your joys!

Thanks for your help.

Highlight the following and copy it. Paste it into either the comments section or an e-mail with your answers.

1. How long have you been married?
2. Do you have a son or daughter that is married? Which one? How long have they been married?
3. Did you know your M-I-L before you were to be married to your husband? Did you know your future s-i-l/d-i-l before they married your child?
4. Do you currently have a good relationship with your M-I-L? D-I-L? S-I-L?
5. What do you think is the main reason your answer is what it is in #4?
6. Would you be interested in filling out an entire questionnaire on this subject?

Thanks for help.
Let's chase HER heart together!

Chasing Their Hearts,
Glenda Johnson
womanaftergod@gmail.com
http://www.twitter.com/GlendaJohnson63
http://www.facebook.com/BibleBowlGlenda 

Hostages And Surrender

There is a hostage situation.
It can be resolved only one way.

What is really going on is that I have taken a hostage. And I am being asked to surrender the hostage and myself to the proper authority. I have actually been in this hostage situation for 4 days. It is becoming critical. The one in authority keeps telling me to surrender my hostage and myself to him.

I am at an impasse. I can go no where. I cannot keep my hostage. It is not good for me or him. The only way to help us both,
is for me to surrender.

You see, I was holding my son that is in Haiti hostage. Hostage from the will of God. Hostage from what I insisted the will of God BE for my son.
In doing so, I have held peace and blessings from myself, that God is waiting to give me.

So I surrendered my son to God.

The only thought I can have and believe is this:
My son will either COME home soon, or he will GO home soon.
Either is victory for Jesus.
So below is my heart song for now, for this moment, for peace.

I surrender all, including my son, to Jesus!

All to Jesus I surrender;
All to Him I freely give
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live
I surrender all,
I surrender all;
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.
All to Jesus I surrender;
Humbly at His feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken;
Take me, Jesus, take me now.
All to Jesus I surrender;
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
Let me feel the Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine.
All to Jesus I surrender;
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power;
Let Thy blessing fall on me.
All to Jesus I surrender;
Now I feel the sacred flame.
Oh, the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory, to His Name!

Is there anything in your life you are holding hostage from God?

Surrender. Peace will come.

Chasing Their Hearts,
Glenda Johnson
womanaftergod@gmail.com
http://www.twitter.com/GlendaJohnson63
http://www.facebook.com/BibleBowlGlenda 

Road Construction Ahead/Standby

Ever been frustrated because you had to wait for road construction? Me Too.

Picture this:
Running a little late. Get in your car heading for a very important appointment. You must not be late. There will be a huge party if you can just get to your destination. Traffic slows from 60 to 45. From 45 to 30. From 30 to a.....complete.....S....T......O......P  As you peer around the stopped cars (about a million of them) you see the dreaded ORANGE VEST!  That vest is holding your trip in their hands on the end of a 10 foot , rotating, 2-sided signed POLE!

*SCREAM*

But I have somewhere to be! So many people depend on me getting there! Did they HAVE to do road work HERE, TODAY?

The answer is yes.  You see in that road ahead there is a huge cave in that happened during the night. It has already swallowed up 3 cars this morning in the dark. Lost 3 lives.

Did you know that in the time the Book of Proverbs was written that it was common practice for men to go ahead of a noble person, or king or the like's chariot and fill all the hole in the road, remove debris, and smooth out the road. SO it could be traveled safely. In the light of that, read this:

Proverbs 3:5-6  Trust the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding.
 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths smooth.

God makes sure we are safe by fixing and smoothing the road ahead of us to keep us safe and get us to our destination.

My son who is in Haiti, caught in a devastated, demolished, area, needs to get out NOW. It is becoming unstable in Haiti. Supplies will run low. Danger is increasing.

We want him home NOW! We need him to be safe. We NEED to hold him, see him, NOW.

We cannot continue to wait.

But we will. God is smoothing the road. God is filling the holes. God is removing the dangers.

I will Trust in Lord with all of my heart. I will not lean on my own understanding.
And God will keep His promise and get my son home safe. 

Chasing Their Hearts,

Glenda Johnson
womanaftergod@gmail.com
http://www.twitter.com/GlendaJohnson63
http://www.facebook.com/BibleBowlGlenda

Sitting By A Well

It is no secret to those who know me that I love the ocean. The water has such a soothing sound.

The pool during the summer months brings such a welcome retreat from the heat.

The hot tub is a relaxing, therapeutic haven for sore muscles in it's swirling awesomeness.

A cool drink of water. A pot of water for coffee. Sweet tea, the drink of the south.

A shower or bath. Brushing your teeth or washing your face.

Laundry. Dishes.

Watering plants. Mopping the floor.

As you read this, how many times today have you already used water?

Clean water. Safe water.

Did you think about your clean, safe water as you used it today?

I have thought about it constantly.

You see my son is in Haiti. (see yesterday's blog)

Yesterday, sitting in the middle of a totally destroyed mission compound, they still had a well with clean, safe water.

This morning, due to aftershock on top of aftershock, the well is compromised.

No more safe water. What does that mean?

Dehydration, dysentary, loss of the ability to fight disease, to even get clean.
My son said to his wife in a very precious one time only conversation this morning " Man do I stink!"

This changes his situation dramatically. Water. Who would have thought that water could change your life so instantaneously?

Jesus did. Listen in on a conversation He had with a woman;

John 4:6-15   Jesus sat down by the well because he was tired from traveling. The time was about six o'clock in the evening.
  A Samaritan woman went to get some water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink of water."
 (His disciples had gone into the city to buy some food.)  The Samaritan woman asked him, "How can a Jewish man like you ask a Samaritan woman like me for a drink of water?" (Jews, of course, don't associate with Samaritans.) Jesus replied to her, "If you only knew what God's gift is and who is asking you for a drink, you would have asked him for a drink. He would have given you living water."
  The woman said to him, "Sir, you don't have anything to use to get water, and the well is deep. So where are you going to get this living water?
  You're not more important than our ancestor Jacob, are you? He gave us this well. He and his sons and his animals drank water from it."
  Jesus answered her, "Everyone who drinks this water will become thirsty again.
  But those who drink the water that I will give them will never become thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give them will become in them a spring that gushes up to eternal life."  The woman told Jesus, "Sir, give me this water! Then I won't get thirsty or have to come here to get water."

Jesus knew water could make a difference in everyone's life. He alone is the living water we can draw. We can be sustained. Our lives overflowing with Him.

So today, this is what I know:

The well in Haiti is compromised. Jesus is sitting there. He is offering my son, his mission team, and every Haitian family there, "the living water".  Clean water or not, the "the living water" is there and flowing abundantly.

Every time I turn on a faucet today, I will not just see water that sustains and cleans the physical life we have. I will pray to the One who is the "the living water". He will sustain me today and beyond today. I will claim the promise,
John 7:38  As Scripture says, 'Streams of living water will flow from deep within the person who believes in me.'"

As I was writing this morning, one of my prayer warrior friend's FaceBook updates said something that touched my heart. I hope you are as inspired as I was:
Sandy wrote:
We are praying for all of you. God put on my heart while I was in the 'shower' to have a water fast today so I can keep Billy and the people in Haiti in my prayers. I have to start over, (again), I have unconsciously used the water twice already today after my shower. Love to all the Johnson family! PS I have never done this before --

Water for the living. Required by the living. Will you partake?

Chasing Their Hearts,
Glenda Johnson
womanaftergod@gmail.com
http://www.twitter.com/GlendaJohnson63
http://www.facebook.com/BibleBowlGlenda