The Beauty in Fall

I love Fall.
I love the trees and the brilliant colors that I see everyday.
I love my friend Sandy.
She does not like Fall.
As Fall comes, she knows that the dead barren trees and coldness of winter are right around the corner. I believe she grieves the trees losing their leaves and becoming dreary and barren.
I think about her almost daily, and wish that I could impart my love for this time of year to her.
This blog is for her. This week, I have seen Fall very differently, and hope to get her to see things differently.
It actually started with a viewing last week of a beautiful Christian woman who went to be with Jesus.
She was 93 years old. As I looked into the casket, her shell that was lying there, had a smile.
I began to think how beautiful that was.
Death, beautiful?
Yes. Death CAN be beautiful.
Let me explain.
When we give our life to Jesus, we choose to die to sin.
The death of sin in our lives. That is a beautiful thing.
If we have died to sin, then when the time comes for physical death,
then beauty for all eternity comes.
Only after we leave this life and enter eternity, will we really know what beauty is.
But, we must pass through that gateway of death to reach it.
So, there is beauty in death,
IF you are in Christ.
So, as I see the trees, and see the leaves changing colors, watch as the glorious colors shine, as the leaves DIE,
I think about the Christian walk.
If I choose to die to sin, I choose a beautiful life while I am here,
which will lead to a beautiful life eternal when all my leaves finishing falling to the ground, for the very last time.
Death of those leaves makes me hunger for my life that will begin when the season of Fall is over.
Sandy, think of eternal life when you see the leaves falling and know, that one day, in the season of Fall, heaven will be on the other side!
I love you!

Chasing After Hearts,

Glenda Johnson

A Walk Through Time

I just journeyed thirty-four years in four hours

Walking through time was wonderful and kinda scary.

My best friend from high school, whom I haven't seen in twenty years, just came over and we ran through thirty -four years.

As we talked and reminisced, something occurred to me.

I shouldn't be alive today.

We made some crazy choices.
We made some crazy choices with friends, strangers, and even in a foreign country where even our parents did not know our location. (Two teenage girls in Mexico without permission)


I am very thankful for the Grace of God!!

Although we haven't seen each other in twenty years or even spoken, the time just melted away.
We did life together back then. Even after we were both married, for a few years we did life together.
Then, we just drifted out of each other's lives.
I am thankful for a friend who still after all of these years loves me and receives my love.
We have made a promise to not let another twenty years go by.

All of this comes after the funeral this morning of my husband's uncle who died way too soon.

People are important.

We may not have twenty years to get around to getting in touch with someone.
Today is a reminder that I need to make a better effort with my relationships.

Who do you need to contact?
You may not have tomorrow.

Pick up the phone.
Send the email.
Facebook.
Just do it!

You will be glad you did!

Chasing After Their Hearts,
Glenda Johnson

A Day Too Late

For the last 26 years I have been an insurance medical examiner. "What is that?", you may ask, well let me explain.

If you have ever applied for life insurance, disability insurance, or long term care insurance chances are you have had to have some medical requirements completed.  Maybe a medical history, or vital signs checked, blood and urine sample collected, even an EKG done. That is what I do. Usually in people's homes, sometimes at their place of business, or at one of our offices.

It really is a job I enjoy. I meet a lot of very interesting people. I get to practice medicine in a "no sick people" environment.  If you live on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, and this sounds like something you would like to do, e-mail me. I have plenty of work.

Anyway, I want to share a story about one of these exams with you. You see, I always call the day before to confirm the appointment. On this day as I was confirming, I had something happen that has never happened before in 26 years. The conversation went something like this:

Me: Hello. may I please speak to Mr. ____?
Man on The Phone: May I ask who is calling?
Me: This is Glenda calling from the insurance examiner's office to confirm his appointment for his medical exam tomorrow for his life insurance policy.
Man on The Phone: Ummm...Ma'am, this is his son. Umm.. he died today.
Me:Oh. (long pause and total silence) I am so sorry for your loss.
Man on The Phone: Thank you.
Me: Goodbye. (Hanging up phone, and very shook up)

Wow. A day too late for that life insurance exam.

Really got me to thinking. We have no guarantees for tomorrow. We do not even have a guarantee for later today.

The people of Haiti can be a witness to that right now. As I watched a video that my son shot in an orphanage just minuets before the earthquake hit, I was really moved.

Those people had no idea that their lives were about to be changed.

The truth is we don't know either.

Is there something that you need to do today, that you think can wait until tomorrow?
Maybe you need to call your mom, maybe a friend you have been needing to contact.
Maybe you need to write a note of encouragement, or a thank you note for something that someone has done for you.
Maybe You need to make peace with a person that you have estranged from.
Maybe you need to make a meal for or visit a widow who is lonely.
Maybe you need to tell your children you love them and you are proud of them.
Maybe.....you fill in the blank.

What needs to happen today, so that YOU WON'T WAKE UP TOMORROW, A DAY TOO LATE?


I saw a saying that is attributed to Joan Rivers, this is what it says:

Yesterday is history,
Tomorrow is a Mystery,
Today is a Gift from God,
That is why it is called the Present.

Do not return your gift from God today. Accept it, embrace it, use it, re-gift it!


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