Thankful? Really? Continued......#2

Remember as a child growing up saying your prayers? If you were like me, and even my kids now, it might sound something like this:
Thank you God for Mommy. Thank you God for Daddy. Thank you for my sister and my brother. Thank you for Grandma and Grandpa. Thank you for my whole family!
(As I got older, this was added)
Thank you for my children. Keep them safe. Help them grow up and and be good.

The words are so easy to say. Sometimes I forget that just SAYING I am thankful for something, doesn't necessarily make me a thankful person. So how do we get beyond the words?

I am so thankful for my family. What does that really look like? Being thankful is ... well...
a verb with an attitude! A great attitude! And lots of action.

It means respecting my husband. As a thankful wife I will meet his number one need for respect. If no actions go with the words, it really mean noting to say, "I am thankful for my husband".

Being thankful for my children. Hmm, how does that look?
It means I provide a happy, healthy place to grow up. I will prepare them to grow up and ..yes.. leave.

My job is not to keep them HERE, but prepare them for THERE! I am thankful to GOD for letting me have my children for the time that I am supposed to have them.

But, being thankful for adult children is a little different. It looks a lot like:

Being there when needed, but staying out of the way. Allowing them to develop a new family unit. Being available. Love and support without having to CONTROL the decisions!

I can tell God that I am thankful for the people He put in my family. He however, expects some action with appropriate attitude.

So, here's to respect. Training. Letting go. and being available.
All true forms of thankfulness!

Chasing Their Hearts,
Glenda Johnson
womanaftergod@gmail.com
GlendaJohnson63@Twitter.com

Thankful? Really?

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I am thankful for so many things! I am so thankful for them that I want to share them with you.

I have a fabulous recipe for make ahead mashed potatoes. They taste great and you do them the day before your big meal and it saves you loads of time on the big day! E-mail me and I will send you the recipe.

The National Christmas Center is a great place to visit when you are in the Lancaster, PA area. Actually, it is worth a special trip . www.NationalChristmasCenter.com.

There is a super car repair place in Salisbury, MD. Peninsula Car Care. The owner Dave Beirman is an honest business man and has an awesome staff. They will fix you right up.

My daughter-in-law has a great creative mind and has done some awesome things for Christmas presents this year. Recipients of those gifts might be reading this so if you would like one of her "sure to please any grandma" ideas e-mail me.

My favorite restaurant of all times is Bay Side Skillet in Ocean City, MD. www.baysideskillet.com. Be sure to have their fresh squeezed OJ and strawberries with Chantilly cream!

The Sight and Sound Theater in PA is awesome. I would recommend any show that they do. I have never seen a bad one.

All of these things I have been talking about all the time! I share them with everybody!

I am thankful for Jesus and what He has done for me.

Silence.

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Why is it that the one thing I should be most thankful for, I tend to speak the least about? Could it be that I am not as thankful for Jesus as I claim to be?

Ladies, we share the great deals we find on clothes. We share a super buy or sale at the grocery store. We recommend our favorite restaurant or hairdresser. But we are silent about Jesus!

This Holiday season, I am refocusing on the One who is more important than any sale or gift.I need to speak about greatness of my God to everyone!

May I come in contact with NO ONE, and them not catch a word, or action that points them to Jesus!

I am thankful for my Jesus and the gifts He has given.
Talk is cheap! (Cheaper than black Friday sales!)

Here's to action!!!!!

Chasing Their Hearts,
Glenda Johnson
womanaftergod@gmail.com
GlendaJohnson63@twitter.com

Increase My Faith Lord! I Feel So Unappreciated!

All those meals I cook.

All those beds I make.

All those loads of laundry I do.

All those places I transport kids to.

All those hours spent cleaning the house!

All those times I clean the church building because no one else is signed up!

All those times I fill in as teacher to the children's classes because no one else will!

Do you ever feel under-appreciated? Ever feel like not doing what you do everyday because it really must not matter because it seems to be unnoticed?

I would be a liar if I said I hadn't felt like I had done more than my share and I should just quit because it is someone else's turn to step up and serve me!

I feel like Cinderella! Maybe I just need to increase my faith!

I read a passage about increasing my faith this morning and God came in the back door and "Gibb's slapped" me upside the head!

Read with me:
Luke 17:5-10  Then the apostles said to the Lord, "Give us more faith."
  The Lord said, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Pull yourself up by the roots, and plant yourself in the sea!' and it would obey you.
  "Suppose someone has a servant who is plowing fields or watching sheep. Does he tell his servant when he comes from the field, 'Have something to eat'?
  No. Instead, he tells his servant, 'Get dinner ready for me! After you serve me my dinner, you can eat yours.'
  He doesn't thank the servant for following orders.
 That's the way it is with you. When you've done everything you're ordered to do, say, 'We're worthless servants. We've only done our duty.'"

I am always asking God to increase my faith. I know that as my faith increases so will my trust and obedience grow. That's what the Christian walk is all about, right?

Funny thing I found this morning. Maybe you see it too.

Jesus tells the disciples if they only have enough faith to equal the size of a mustard seed, they will be able to uproot a tree with just their words.

( Those seeds are small! See them to the left of the pencil tip!)

I have some trees in my day to day walk that I would like to be able to move just by speaking! Digging them up gets tiring, and I am already exausted and doing plenty of other things!


Right after that, Jesus talks to them about being a servant. About doing what a servant is supposed to do. About a servant knowing who THEY are and WHO the master is.

The very last verse is where I really received my "Gibb's head slap". Here it is again;

He doesn't thank the servant for following orders.  That's the way it is with you. When you've done everything you're ordered to do, say, 'We're worthless servants. We've only done our duty.'"

Everything I do, is as a servant to Jesus, who is my master. If I sit around and wait to be acknowledged for doing exactly what God has called me to do, then I am out of line. 
God has created me to be a Christian woman to serve in the Church, in my home and in my community. I need to do what he has called me to do knowing that I am a servant.

It all comes down to humility. Know what else? If I am a servant with a servant's mind and attitude,and I am serving King Jesus, my faith will increase!

To quote Perry Noble: " You are only as deep as the last person you served".

Here's to knowing who I am and who I serve!

Chasing Their Hearts,
Glenda Johnson

Gospel Message was found in Chocolate Chip Cookies

Heb 13:1  Continue to love each other.
Heb 13:2  Don't forget to show hospitality to believers you don't know. By doing this some believers have shown hospitality to angels without being aware of it.

Hospitality. We are called to show it. We as women are especially gifted by God to do that very thing.

Tonight I got to take a dozen, homemade chocolate chip cookies to to new family that had visited the church for the first time last Sunday.  I was able to show hospitality. And it was wonderful.

I watched as God used this simple gesture of hospitality to show care from His Body. The new family was so thankful and amazed that someone would do that for them. They were touched not by me, but by Jesus.

I am most joyful when I allow myself to be used by Jesus to spread His love. I have so many opportunities to do that if I will just take them!

God puts people in our path everyday that he expects us to touch. He wants us to use our gifts to show His message of love and salvation.

We are so busy that we let many chances to touch people slip by.  Let's free up some time.

15 min at Walmart to buy cookie mix
5 min to mix up
11 min to bake
5 min to cool
5 min to wrap
1 min to write note
30 min to travel there and back

Total= 1 hour 12 min.

Considering Jesus took time to :
Leave heaven and come to Earth - 33years
Die on the cross for my salvation- approx 3-4 hours
Supply my needs everyday- 24/7
Total= Eternity

Can I carve out an hour to show His love to someone else?
If I want to Chase His Heart I will!

I am committing to spend less time on myself, and invest more time in other people. it is the only way they will come to know Jesus.

How about you? Have some gospel cookies to bake?

By the way, a nice bonus from this; a house that smells like fresh baked cookies!
A sweet aroma indeed!

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

A Funeral and a Wedding

Saturday was interesting. My day consisted of attending both a funeral and a wedding.

I must admit. My first concern was whether there was enough time to get from the funeral to the wedding. If not, at what point could I leave the funeral and not seem uncaring.

My second concern was much more, let's say, vain. HOW do I dress for a day like this?  I was baffled for a little while. Luckily, the wedding was not formal, so I found an outfit that would work for both occasions. (A fabulous pair of heels works wonders!)

The funeral was very touching. The man we were there to remember and honor had lived a long, good life. His family was grieving, but they all knew that he was in the place that he lived his entire life looking forward to, heaven.

I was touched as I listened to his children and grandchildren talk about the life he lived and the ways in which he shaped their lives. They all acknowledged their mother, the grieving widow, also as part of the legacy that this man left behind for his children , grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

It really made me ponder my own funeral. Would my children be able to say that I has left them a legacy of godliness, love and joy? Was I the example of Christ that they needed to see?

I really was challenged to reevaluate everything that I do as a mom and a wife. Not so people will sing accolades to me when I die, but so I can influence my children while I am alive!

Then I rushed off to the wedding. Made it with 10 min. to spare!

It was a beautiful fall wedding. The bride and groom were both young, pure and committed to Christ!
As I watched them commit their lives to God and to one another, something occurred to me.

What I had been a part of at the funeral just a little while before, started 60 years prior at an event not so different from this one. The young couple have an opportunity to begin a legacy right now that will lead to the joy and happy lives that will be shared at funerals years from now.

For them, it starts NOW. I got to share this with them during the reception. It was a blessing.

I am reevaluating my marriage and home life. It can be a new beginning and a chance to make adjustments starting right now.

How about you? Is there anything you need to change or adjust?
It doesn't matter if you have been married 24 hours or 24 years!

2Corinthians 5:17  Whoever is a believer in Christ is a new creation. The old way of living has disappeared. A new way of living has come into existence. 

We can start new each day! We have a God that specializes in new!

Chase God's heart by being the wife and mother that is leaving an honoring legacy!

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

Crowns or Cancer

I like crowns. Ever since I was a little girl, I knew crowns were good. Princesses and queens have crowns when you a little girl. The homecoming queen has a crown when you are a young woman. Miss America has crown when you are a woman. Crowns are good!

My granddaughter and I play with crowns all the time. She ALLOWS me to wear a crown and be royalty WITH her. We RULE when we wear a crown.
Truth be told,  crowns are beautiful. Given the chance to pretend , I would even want to be a shiny, diamond and ruby, silver, beautiful crown.

Crowns are worn by important people, and are the sign of honor.
Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.

Proverbs 12:4  A wife with strength of character is the crown of her husband, but the wife who disgraces him is like bone cancer. (GW)

I can be a crown!!!!! But I can also be cancer.

Oh stink!

As I was reading today, I realized my character determines whether I am a crown to my my husband or I am a cancer to my husband.

I must confess, this comes on the heels of a situation that occurred today.

I mishandled something. I did something that was not right. Not on purpose, or with the blatant intent to deceive, but wrong still the same.  My husband , being the Godly man that he is, stepped in the gap for me.  He took the brunt of the the wronged persons anger.

One line that person said still rings loud and clear in my head.

" And you are supposed to be a man of the cloth!"

I am devastated.  My lack of of a wise choice, purposeful or not, gave my husband's reputation a black mark. God too, in this person's mind.

I am praying and working on fixing the situation. It has been a wake up call for me. My character directly reflects on my husband. I need to make sure I am being the Godly woman that God created me to be. My sin does not only affect me.  It could give my husband spiritual "cancer".

I would rather be a shiny, diamond filled crown on his head! It is more beautiful, and less painful than cancer.

So here's to forgiveness and grace. To making sure my character reflects honor for God and for my husband. They both deserve my very best.

How about you? have you thought about your actions of today, this week, this year?

Be a crown, it is the way to Chase After Their Hearts!


Chasing Their Hearts,

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

Friendship

Today a wonderful, awesome thing happened.
A God thing.

I was waiting for my husband to be moved from the OR recovery room to his regular room at the hospital. He had just had surgery on his neck. We were in the recovery room for five and a half hours because there were no rooms available.

Then God showed up. A dear friend that I have known since 1987 walked by. She works at the hospital.  It was awesome because due to our travel with different ministries, I have not seen her in eight years and have not communicated with her in five years.

She and I looked up and caught each others eyes and immediately ran into each others arms. We stood there and hugged and cried for 5 minutes. Then we caught up for the next 20. We talked some more on her break when she came up to check on my husband.

The time we had spent apart, melted instantly. It was wonderful. We had shared life over the years, raising children, ups and downs of marriage, and Jesus. We were connected at the heart level. I asked for forgiveness for neglecting our friendship.

God brought back to my attention just how important it is to have women in our lives with whom we can share, trust for advice, and grow closer to Jesus with. God did not intend for us to be alone on the journey.

I have a few ladies that are close friends. We are close enough that we can be real, and bear our hearts to one another without having to wear a mask.

Tit 2:3  Tell older women to live their lives in a way that shows they are dedicated to God. Tell them not to be gossips or addicted to alcohol, but to be examples of virtue.
Tit 2:4  In this way they will teach young women to show love to their husbands and children,
Tit 2:5  to use good judgment, and to be morally pure. Also, tell them to teach young women to be homemakers, to be kind, and to place themselves under their husbands' authority. Then no one can speak evil of God's word.

God wants us women to grow together, and teach each other how to chase after our husband's heart and our children's heart. But most of all, Jesus' heart.

I have committed to invest back into this friend.  I am going to nurture this friendship and the other ones I have so that we can all grow together.

Is there a friendship you need to spend some time on? Is there a new that needs to be formed?

Get busy Chasing Their Hearts!

By the way, the time difference between my husband getting a room and me finding my friend, 3 minutes.
God always has a plan!


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

Are You Sure God?

It is one of those day. Not a bad day. It has actually been a very good and productive day. It has however been a day that in the back drop, slowly worry has started creeping in. Now as I sit here to write, I am exhausted. It is more of the mental kind verses the physical.

Have you ever noticed how worry can just zap you of you energy, joy and well-being?

As I worry I have a hard time having the energy to meet the needs of my two kids who have the flu.

*Hmm one of my reasons for worry......

As I am caring for them, I need to pack to go out of town for 3 or 4 days because my husband is having surgery about an hour and a half away from home. I am over-whelmed and too tired.

*Hmmm again one of my reasons for worry.....

As I think about my husband being in the hospital for 2 or 3 days starting tomorrow, I know I must also go with my daughter to the perinatalogist for a consultation for a pregnancy that is becoming an increasing concern for both my daughter's health and my grandchild's day after tomorrow. I know we probably have 28 more weeks of bed rest with me caring for my 16mo granddaughter. And I must care for my husband. AND I must be prepared to support my daughter and son-in-love if we have a loss .

*Hmmmm once again,the reasons for my worry.

As I write this I am tired.

Isn't it interesting that all the things that make me worry are things I need the energy to accomplish that the worry steals????

Are you tired from worrying about things. Real things. Things that are truly difficult and affect your ability to serve Jesus, or to be the wife or mom that He has called you to be?

Me too.

And once again Jesus speaks through His Word and through the Holy Spirit to me.

Mat 6:34  "So don't ever worry about tomorrow. After all, tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (GW)

Really? I don't have to worry about tomorrow, or the next day or the next?
Jesus said I don't have to.

Then He talks to Martha and says: 
Luk 10:41  The Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha! You worry and fuss about a lot of things.(GW)

She was wearing herself out worrying over things that did not need to be worried about.

He could have just as well been saying,
"Glenda! Glenda! You worry and fuss about a lot of things."

Could your name go in there as well?

As we chase after Jesus' heart we must trust that in that heart everything is already handled for us.

You see He also said:
Pro 1:33  But whoever listens to me will live without worry and will be free from the dread of disaster."

There's the issue. We dread disaster. I dread disaster.

If we will listen to Him, the worry can march it's scrawny little,  obnoxious butt right out the door!

I am choosing right now to stop the worrying.

Want to know what is amazing?

I suddenly have the energy I need to get through the rest of the day!

What will you choose?

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

Monday? Why Do We Hate Mondays?

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It has become apparent to me today that most people HATE Mondays. I really must admit, that more times than not, I am one of them.

Why is it that we hate Mondays so much? Here are a few thoughts:

1. Our weekend is over. Now we have to go back to work.
2. We view Friday as the gateway to freedom. Saturday and Sunday as OUR days for US. Monday strips all that away.
3. We did too many FUN things on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and now we are exhausted.

Ladies, do you find that you are just worn out after the weekend and Monday is just a horrible day for you and consequently for your family? Me too.

The Holy Spirit pricked my conscience this morning as I was pondering all these things. As I was reading the Word, here's what came to my mind.

Yesterday was Sunday. The church gathered together for encouragement! For a pep rally! To honor Jesus, our Savior! To love on one another and be loved on also! To build each up! To learn what we can do to lead others to Christ! To eat of the bread and drink of the vine to proclaim Jesus until He returns!

And less than 24 hours later, we are toast!!

I can see it if we felt down and out on Saturday or even Friday! But oh no..TGIF, right.

What happened after the resurrection?  Do you really think those that saw Jesus after He resurrected from the dead, had a bad Monday?
Did they drag around and wonder if they could make it through the week like so often I do? I highly doubt it! They couldn't wait to tell everybody about Jesus!

What did you see yesterday? Did you hear about the resurrection? Did you come in contact with Jesus?

If we see the gathering together of the Body of Christ as we should, then Mondays should be a flying high day! We should be ready to conquer the world for Jesus!

Maybe what is needed is a new perspective. We need to be an encourager on Sundays, and get encouraged on Sunday, so that we greet Monday with a battle cry for the Lord!

If we are so busy doing worldly things that we are unable to concentrate on the spiritual, then we will develop the world's view on Monday. We will have the expectation of a horrible, bad day.

The challenge I have issued for myself is to greet each Monday from here on out with this:

I have been on the mountain and in the presence of the church worshiping the resurrected Jesus just 24 hours ago, I CAN ACCOMPLISH  ANYTHING!

A change in my attitude will be a blessing to my husband, my children and to the Kingdom!

Here's to a lifetime of MARVELOUS Mondays!

Chasing Their Hearts,

Glenda Johnson
glenda@comediscoverwithus.com
http://twitter.com/GlendaJohnson63

But He Betrayed Me!

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Today I am home. I should not be. I should be with Body at the church building. The flu, however, chose to invade my body and keep me home. But it did not keep me from Jesus.

As I was in fellowship with Jesus in His word I was struck by something.

Betrayal.

It seemed to permeate everything I read this morning. It shouldn't surprise me. Betrayal is everywhere.

I talk to women everyday that feel betrayed. By husbands. By children. By friends. By employers. By the church. Some betrayals are deeper than others, but betrayal is still, just that, betrayal.

So what do you do when your husband betrays you?
When a child betrays your trust?
When the church, that is supposed to show God's love and truth, betrays you?

Run to Jesus. He has been there.

Mar 14:18  While they were at the table eating, Jesus said, "I can guarantee this truth: One of you is going to betray me, one who is eating with me!"
Mar 14:19  Feeling hurt, they asked him one by one, "You don't mean me, do you?"
Mar 14:20  He said to them, "It's one of you twelve, someone dipping his hand into the bowl with me.


A close friend, one that Jesus hand picked, one he has shared three years of his life with. Betrayed him. And for all those three years, Jesus knew the betrayal was coming.
He loved him anyway.

Ok, Ok, so Judas HAD to betray Jesus for the plan. Maybe, maybe not. But just in case you need something else.

Mar 14:29  Peter said to him, "Even if everyone else abandons you, I won't."
Mar 14:30  Jesus said to Peter, "I can guarantee this truth: Tonight, before a rooster crows twice, you will say three times that you don't know me."
Mar 14:31  But Peter said very strongly, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never say that I don't know you." All the other disciples said the same thing.

But Peter did just that. Betrayed Jesus that very night. All the other disciples ran away. In his darkest hour, those closest to him, left him alone and betrayed.

So what does this mean for you?

When you are betrayed by those closest to you, you get one step closer to being like Jesus.
That's what the purpose of life is to be, right? Become more like Jesus and point others to him.

So what do you do when you are betrayed? Let's let's see what Jesus' last words were after his betrayal:

Luk 23:34  Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them. They don't know what they're doing."

It all lies in forgiveness.

Who do you need to forgive in your heart today? Talk with the One who has been there, then do it. There is a new day waiting for you free from the bondage betrayal puts on us.

You can beat betrayal with love and forgiveness.

Jesus did.

Chasing Their Hearts,

Glenda Johnson
twitter.com/GlendaJohnson63

Fall -A Time to Change

I know it is contrite, but fall seems to be the time of year I find it easiest to make changes in my life.  As I watch the leaves change color and give us a true pallet of beauty, I am inspired. Then, as the leaves change their location, from the branch to the ground, I realize, movement was meant to be.

So, I embrace change with a passion, and bravery like never before…

WHO AM I TRYING TO FOOL?

There are major changes going on in my life and I am scared to death! But I am inspired by my surroundings.

Let me share the “fall” of my life.

My oldest daughter is expecting her second child. We have already been blessed with a 16 mo. Granddaughter from her.  It should be a time of rejoicing. We are trying. You see, she has developed a subchorionic bleed. She is on bed rest, with a 16mo old that means Granny’s house. The change of having more people at our house is not a problem. The waiting and wondering if this bleed will end in a loss, premature labor or placental abruption is the change in my life that has me blowing around some days like the fall leaves.

My husband will also be having 2 surgeries over the next couple of months.  The first one is next week. It is a fairly complicated surgery requiring both a neurosurgeon and an orthopedic surgeon to complete it.  Suddenly, all my fall leaves seem to blowing in a crazy wind storm and I can’t seem to recognize where I am.

So, I am faced with caring for possible 30 more weeks my pregnant daughter and my recovering husband.

Oh, did I add that I home-school 3 other children still at home AND own a business?

Something needs to change. I may be Wonder Woman but I am not God.

So, I now find myself “falling” into some life changing decisions.

1^st- I must close my business. My family comes first. Always.

2^nd- I have 4 blogs and 2 books that need to be written. I keep complaining I don’t have time because of the time requirement of my business. 

Sometimes changes come about to help us reprioritize our lives.

This fall is my time to change.

I am “falling” into line with God’s will for me. Being a wife and mother are what I am called to be. Writing to encourage those other people God brings across my path can no longer be put on the shelf.

Here’s to change. It can actually be quite pretty, just look out your window…then into your heart.

What do you need to change this fall?

Chasing Their Hearts,

Glenda Johnson