Who Has Your Back?

^{Guess what?} 

^{I don't have to fight for my honor.} 

^{Or the honor of my husband.} 

^{Or the honor of my family.} 

^{And neither do you!}

^{Psalm 62:7-8}

⁷ My salvation and my honor depend on God;
   he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
⁸ Trust in him at all times, you people;
   pour out your hearts to him,
   for God is our refuge. 

God is my salvation and what I am, what honor I have comes from HIM! He is my refuge.

All I have to do is trust in HIM at all times.

All YOU have to do is trust in HIM at all times!

So today:

I will let my honor be in the hands of God.

I will trust in HIM at all times.

I will pour out my heart to Him, if I ever have any doubts!

It is freeing to know WHO has your back. 

No matter what.

Chasing After Their Hearts,
Glenda Johnson

Joseph-The Husband, The Father, The Man

I am so thankful that God led me to Larry, my husband. I have been blessed with an awesome man who has taken care of me, and been a tremendous father to our children. Larry takes the job of leading our family very seriously. He knows that God will hold him accountable for our family. What a tremendous responsibility. 
Which brings to my mind this morning, Joseph. 
The man, who would be responsible for the raising of the Son of God in his home. As his daddy. The man who was to set an example, for the Son of God. 
What an awesome responsibility. 
What a man.

Just and honorable before God.

Only a simple carpenter, in love with a young girl.

Secretly wanted to handle his problem, instead of public humiliation, out of love.

Engaged to the woman who would give birth to God's son.

Prepared by angel to take Mary as his wife.


He was chosen to be the earthly father of the Son of God. 

Matthew 1:18-25

¹⁸ This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

 ²⁰ But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

 ²² All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³ “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

 ²⁴ When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. ²⁵ But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

 

I am thankful today for my husband. For all he is called to be by God. While I acknowledge he is not raising the Son of God, I know he has a tremendous responsibility on his shoulders.

Today, I chase after my husband's heart and show love, honor and respect for who he is, and what God has called him to be.

Chasing After Their Hearts,
Glenda Johnson

Grace; Small Thought, Huge Implication

A woman has a daughter who is really walking down a dangerous path. She is using drugs and is living on the street, and pays for her drug habit by prostitution. The mother's heart is broken for her daughter. She is also angry with the choices this child of hers has made.

She cannot let this child into her home because she cannot have this kind of behavior there. It would destroy the rest of the family. What is this mother to do?

The girl cannot get into rehab, she has no money. She cannot get away from her pimp for she has no power over him. She cannot even see that she is destroying her life because her mind and body is set on serving the drugs that have seduced her.

This child will surely die if something does not happen.

As the mother watches her child she knows what she must do.

First: The mother pays the bill for a rehab center in full, for as long as the treatment might take, whether 1mo, 6 mo, 20 years.

Second: The mother purchases a house that she pays in full for this child to live in once she is clean. The provisions  for the rest of her life are set up and all her needs will be met.

Third: The mother has someone who will take this offer to her daughter and walk her to the door of the rehab center and wait while she gets well. This person will then take the child to the home prepared for her and help her as she learns to walk in her new clean life.

My question for you is this;

Is grace found in the treatment and home and the friend provided? Or is grace found in the fact that the mother chose to make this offer?

Jerry Bridges wrote:
It was BECAUSE of His grace that God the Father sent His only Son to die in our place. To say it another way, Christ's death was the RESULT of God's grace; grace IS NOT the result of Christ's death. BECAUSE Christ completely satisfied the justice of God, we can now experience the grace of God.

Ephesians 2:8-9

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
  not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

The plan to send Jesus is the ultimate act of grace.

May I challenge your heart with this; grace did not happen on the cross of Jesus. The true picture of God's grace was that He chose to reach down to make a way for us to be reconciled with Him, before we even knew we needed Him.

Just like the mother in the story above, God cared too much to allow His child to remain helpless.
However, neither the daughter in the above story, or the daughter writing this blog, or the daughter reading this blog, can experience the benefits of the grace offered without accepting the gift.

That is where we pick up the story of grace next time.

Chasing After Their Hearts,

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

Authenticity

I have been pondering the idea of authenticity for the last couple of weeks. Here are a few of the reasons why:

1. I observe people all around me that feel they have to wear a mask in order to be safely accepted in their everyday lives.

2. I see judgmental people tear others down and make it very unsafe to show who they really are.

3. I know personally those who have a great need to share what really goes in their lives but find no one with which to do this, because once again it is not safe.

And lest we in the Church, think it is not that way with us,
all of the above things are within the church body.

So what must occur so that true authenticity can occur in the Body of Christ?

That is the question that has been plaguing my heart.
As I searched the scriptures, I found two examples of what I see as true authenticity.


Let me share them with you.


The first is from John 8:3-11 in the account of the woman caught in the act of adultery.
John 8:3-11  The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught committing adultery. They made her stand in front of everyone
  and asked Jesus, "Teacher, we caught this woman in the act of adultery.
  In his teachings, Moses ordered us to stone women like this to death. What do you say?"
 They asked this to test him. They wanted to find a reason to bring charges against him. Jesus bent down and used his finger to write on the ground.
  When they persisted in asking him questions, he straightened up and said, "The person who is sinless should be the first to throw a stone at her."
  Then he bent down again and continued writing on the ground.
  One by one, beginning with the older men, the scribes and Pharisees left. Jesus was left alone with the woman.
  Then Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Where did they go? Has anyone condemned you?"
 The woman answered, "No one, sir." Jesus said, "I don't condemn you either. Go! From now on don't sin."

The woman in this account, was at a very difficult point in her life. Her dark secret was revealed. She was hopeless. Jesus was there. He knew exactly what she had done. And yet, He meets her right where she is, deals with her accusers, and then sends her on her way with the encouragement to change her life.

If you met that woman today, what character in that passage would you be most like?
Are you an accuser, looking to find fault in everyone you meet? (unsafe)
Are you like Jesus, willing to step in the gap and walk with someone to help them change their life,
regardless of the sin committed? (safe)


Only when we act like Jesus do we create a safe place for authenticity to take place and God's grace to shine.

Authenticity will only come when we start acting like Jesus.
Here is what I find;
Christ and Him alone is the only way authenticity can be reached.
If we are growing in His grace,
accomplishing His mission,
becoming more and more like Him everyday,
then we will see things with His heart,
His Love,
and extend His grace.

We will put aside
OUR opinions,
OUR judgments,
OUR need to be right,
OUR prejudices,
OUR selfishness,
OUR bitterness,
OUR right to avenge wrongs,
and OUR need to show HOW GOOD WE ARE,
to surrender to Jesus.

Can it be done?

I have only seen it twice in my own life.
Two people I can be totally authentic with.
Two people I feel TOTALLY safe with.

Tomorrow I will share the second example I found in scripture when an environment was created and true authenticity shown brightly. 

I must decide if I desire true authenticity or desire to be self-centered.  
I cannot have both.

I want to chase God's heart in this matter.

Chasing Their Hearts,

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

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

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